


Changing Tides

by natashajay



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, BAMF Katherine Pierce, BAMF Kol Mikaelson, Bonnie Bennet Bashing, Damon Salvatore Bashing, Elena Gilbert Bashing, F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hawai'ian Mythology, Minor Catherine Rollins Bashing, Ohana, Running Away, Torture, Wicca
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-03-15 13:40:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13614513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natashajay/pseuds/natashajay
Summary: Most stories begin with ‘Once Upon a Time’ and usually end in ‘And they lived Happily Ever After’. But this story is not one borne from a fairy tale, but of reality and while real life has its immeasurable beauty, it is balanced by cruelty; it is brutal, it is grueling and it can be measurably brief. When composing a story, it must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.This story however, has a beginning and an end: …And it all started when Kamyra met Steve which led to Kaydence's birth.Fast Forward sixteen years later, Kaydence runs away from Mystic Falls and the only family she's known her entire life, in search for a safe haven, which so happens to be Hawaii, the birthplace of her father.Kaydence is running scared, terrified of her own shadow. She isn't safe anymore, and her life is in danger... but it isn't just her life that's in danger.Will Steve take his daughter in? Will Hawaii keep Kaydence safe? Will her past catch up to her? Will the Hawaii 5-0 TaskForce protect Kaydence with all their might, even against supernatural entities they never believed existed?Kaydence Gilbert-McGarrett continues to run in hopes of eluding those that chase after her.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This story starts a week after Caroline got bitten by Tyler in Season 3 of TVD! ;)

_Most stories begin with ‘Once Upon a Time’ and usually end in ‘And they lived Happily Ever After’. But this story is not one borne from a fairy tale, but of reality and while real life has its immeasurable beauty, it is balanced by cruelty; it is brutal, it is grueling and it can be measurably brief. When composing a story, it must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion._

_This story however, has a beginning and an end: …And it all started when Kamyra met Steve._

_Now, if this were a fairy tale, their life would be chronicled as: “It was love at first sight, a love so transcendent everything paled in comparison, and then, they shared True Love’s Kiss, sealing that they were Fated to be. Shortly thereafter, they set a wedding date, exchanged the sort of marriage vows that could bring an entire house to tears, and started a family – you know, the one with a white picket fence, two point five kids, and a playful golden retriever – and they all lived Happy Happily Ever After…_

_…The End._

_But again, this is not a fairy tale, and Kamyra and Steve’s whirlwind love story ended similarly to how it started: quickly and fleetingly, with one difference… the procreation of a beautiful baby girl named Kaydence._

_To understand the true subject of this story, which is Kaydence, background information must be provided, and it all starts with Kamyra Gilbert._

_You see, Kamyra was the youngest of three. Her eldest brother Grayson, while he preached about the importance of family, was mostly distant in young Kamyra’s life, treating her with a sort of detached interest, an impassive spectator throughout her childhood. On the other hand, John was a completely different story; maybe it was because they were closer in age with only a three-year gap, but probably because John had no tangible memory of his mother and therefore, could never resent Kamyra for her birth._

_There had been complications with John’s birth which inevitably led to a decline in Erica Gilbert’s health and sadly, a month later, she passed away. Grayson was seven at the time, and had vivid memories of his mother and of his parents’ love. John didn’t. He never had the chance to experience a mother’s love, or touch, or hear her sing him a lullaby or read him a story before bedtime. Their father Christopher grew lonely and a year after his beloved’s death, grew adamant in finding a mother for his sons._

_Now it may sound like a 21 st century spinoff of Cinderella, but truly it was not._

_Nobody knew of the woman Christopher became enamored with, for he kept her close to the chest, keeping her a secret from the picturesque town of Mystic Falls. Grayson managed to steal a few glimpses of the beautiful blonde woman with large, expressive blue eyes that captured his father’s heart and earned her his devotion, but he, like the remaining populace of the town, never had a name to the enigmatic woman that made the widower a happy man again._

_But one day, and here is where it all turned into speculation, each gossipmonger, namely the dull housewives around town, coming up with a conjecture of their own. Nevertheless, each rumor had one thing in common: “one night, Christopher returned home to his sons with a newborn swathed in baby pink.” The mysterious woman never to be seen or heard of again, almost as though she never existed, and try as they might, nobody ever succeeded in garnering a confession out of Christopher who had now become a single father to three children._

_As Kamyra came to maturity and evolved into a young teen, nobody could deny the identity of her mother, for she was the spitting image of Christopher’s mysterious woman. But with age, Kamyra grew more rebellious and became known as Mystic Falls Troublemaker. The girl reveled in causing mischief and mayhem, disobeying orders, acting out left and right without a thought or care for the consequences. She was a true rebel and a free-spirit who dreamed of one day leaving the dull and dreary life of Mystic Falls to travel the world and never look back, disliking to be restrained. She was the personification of her name, for Kamyra meant ‘surrounded by sunlight’, and despite her rebellious nature and her insubordination, nobody could deny that being around Kamyra was like being near the sun, basking in its brilliant rays._

_Being around Kamyra was like experiencing sunshine throughout all hours of the day, every single day._

_However, the day finally came where Christopher could no longer carry on with being a single father, especially since Kamyra was a handful, risking a stroke every day merely in an attempt to control her boisterous attitude and repress her obstreperous-self. It was after Grayson returned from his honeymoon did Christopher finally put his foot down, trusting his eldest and most responsible son with the wellbeing of his two youngest while he lived out his remaining years in a retirement home for the elderly._

_And then, the unthinkable happened. John got his high school sweetheart pregnant._

_Miranda yearend for a child and it was agreed that she and Grayson would raise John’s child as their own. By the time the child was born, John would be a fresh graduate and would head off to college in California. That decision changed Kamyra’s entire life and set the future events into motion…_

_The conclusion was made that Kamyra would be a bad influence on the youngest addition to the Gilbert Clan: Elena; she was already a handful, and adding her rebelliousness to the newborn’s demanding needs, and it was unanimously decided by Grayson and Miranda that Kamyra be sent to a boarding school in California, with John nearby in case he was needed by her._

_Hurt by her brother and sister-in-law’s rejection and low opinion of her, Kamyra didn’t put up a fuss; and though she was saddened by her own flesh and blood’s behavior towards her, she was inwardly glad at the chance to spread her wings and soar, no longer restrained by her uppity brother, sickeningly perfect sister-in-law and the snobbish denizens of the small town. Kamyra decided to make the most of it; she would be able to enjoy three years of independence, away from judgmental eyes, and then attend college somewhere far away, maybe in Europe._

_Her first week of boarding school, Kamyra met Steve and the rest was history…_

_After graduating, Steve, him being a couple of months older than her, at the age of eighteen, joined the service and after one last magical night where the two enamored teenagers intimately said their last goodbyes, he disappeared to train at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, and that was the last Kamyra ever heard of the love of her life._

_That night, according to Kamyra, truly was a magical one, because that was the day Kaydence was conceived, born of true love, and passion, and trust._

_Naturally, a pregnant sister didn’t go down too well with Grayson and he all but demanded she follow John’s footsteps by allowing him and Miranda to raise her baby as their own. Their plan was, since Miranda was also pregnant, and the two of them shared the same due date, they could pass them off as twins and Kamyra would be free to attend college and live her life without the burden of motherhood. But the truth was, Grayson believed his sister too immature and irresponsible to look after a fragile life, one that would look upon her to take care of all its needs._

_Insulted and old enough to take a stand, Kamyra cancelled all her plans for college, all her plans for Europe and put a temporary hiatus on her dreams of traveling the world. She left Mystic Falls and stayed with John throughout her pregnancy, naming him Kaydence’s godfather. Ironically, Grayson and Miranda gave birth to a boy, Jeremy, and both he and Kaydence shared the same birthdate: October 13, 1994._

_One year later, Kamyra revived her dreams and ensuring Kaydence was fit for travel, the two fled from the United States and began their journey, one that lasted fourteen years, culminating into a wonderful and memorable adventure._

_And now, here’s where the true story begins…_

_It was May 23, 2009 that Kamyra Gilbert’s story ended, giving the opportunity for another one to begin…_

_You see, mother and daughter made it a point to visit the family at Mystic Falls once or twice a year, and since Kamyra had plans on taking Kaydence to Hawaii for the first time for the entirety of the summer, it was decided they would visit early. As per usual, Kamyra and Grayson got into another one of their never-ending arguments and, too stubborn to let Grayson win, when Elena called from the party by the woods, asking for a ride home, Kamyra tagged along, and it was the last time Kaydence ever saw her mother, her best friend, her only true companion, alive._

_John was given full custody of Kaydence, as per Kamyra’s will, but unfortunately, he had some super-secret work thing and therefore, transferred custody to Jenna, albeit temporarily, until he concluded his business._

_…his business ended a year later with his death, sacrificing his life for Elena’s soul and Kaydence lost another loved one._

_The moment her mother died, Kaydence’s life was shot to hell, her days mostly spent in solitude. Elena was too busy with her friends – none of which she got along with, except surprisingly Caroline Forbes, who always took the time to inquire over her wellbeing. Jeremy preferred abandoning her for Vicki Donovan, feeding his disgusting pill addiction and thereby leaving Kaydence to mourn the loss of her mother by her lonesome. Jenna was too busy with college and taking care of three moody teenagers, and Uncle John was all over the place, rarely staying in one place for too long, making her miss the good old days when she and her mother used to do exactly that, spending their days on the road or in exotic places._

_She did manage to make two friends, amazing individuals that quickly evolved into best friends, competing for Jeremy’s empty spot. But when the supernatural barged into her life because Elena decided it was a good idea to date a vampire, Kaydence’s life became entangled in vampire drama, which then morphed into witch drama and then werewolf and doppelg_ _änger drama and lastly, Original drama. Kaydence couldn’t catch a break and she feared her friends would end up as collateral damage and so, she made sure to keep her distance, not alienating them, though not treating them like she did before._

_One thing Kaydence learned in the supernatural life of Mystic Falls, was this: at the end of the day, if you aren’t a Salvatore, or Elena Gilbert, then you aren’t safe in town and could easily end up as collateral damage._

_But then, a ghost infestation took place in Mystic Falls, and much to Kaydence’s surprise, her mother was one of them. It was a huge shock because Kaydence was under the impression that her mother was a mortal, but she was wholly mistaken: her mother was a powerful witch from a long line of formidable and equally powerful witches, meaning Kaydence was one as well. Kamyra handed her daughter her last saving grace, a contingency plan for when she was no longer safe in Mystic Falls._

_And like her mother predicted, that day eventually came the day after she turned sixteen._

_Faced with no other option, Kaydence fled for her life to elude her tormentors and would-be murderers._

_According to her Uncle John’s will and the words her mother’s ghost parted her with, there remained one safe haven where she could hide from those that pursued her: Hawaii, where she still had living family – her grandfather._

“Aloha, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Honolulu, Hawaii! As we start our descent, please make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you. We are currently descending and landing. _Mahalo_!” the pleasant voice on the intercom announced.

Kaydence hastened to buckle her seatbelt and in order to distract herself from the plane’s descent, she turned back to her journal that was balanced on her knee – a fourteenth birthday present from her Aunt Miranda and the last gift she ever received from her before she died.

_For Kaydence, she had two stories: one that began the night her mother died in that fateful car accident, and two, three days before her sixteenth birthday, her loneliness driving her to desperation which brought upon consequences that had her fleeing from one she called family._

_She just hoped her Grandfather John didn’t turn her away since all Uncle John and her mother’s searches for her father led to absolutely no results, his location a constant unknown._

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Honolulu International Airport. Local time is 11:03 AM and–”

 _Wish me luck!_ – She quickly scribbled before slamming her journal close, tucking it into her hippy one-shoulder bag and squeezing her hands together, preferring to wait for everyone to filter out of the plane and therefore give her more time to soothe her frantic nerves.

“Calm down, Kay. Grandpa John’ll love you. He will. _He will_ ,” she assured herself under her breath, striking almond-shaped green eyes flickering to and fro in distress.

Hawaii was her last and only hope, she couldn’t blow it… otherwise, she’s a dead girl.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaydence gets a special welcome to Hawaii & Steve and Kaydence finally meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story kicks off on S3E16 (1912) of TVD and after Hawaii Five-0 S1E04.

Nothing says “Welcome to Hawaii” like some jerk-off trying to rob you at knifepoint.

_Like seriously?_

After having left Honolulu International Airport by foot, Kaydence decided to do what she did best whenever she was in the middle of a freak out, or when she needed time to think: either go for a walk or a run. It was her mother who had come to the realization that there were two activities that helped calm her down, _that_ and playing music. All Kaydence had to her name, was a duffle-bag and her guitar case and she didn’t feel up to sitting by some random sidewalk and strum her guitar in broad daylight so, naturally, she chose to go for a leisure walk to think about her next course of action.

Should she go straight to her grandfather’s house, which could be considered as rude and therefore, maybe she should do things the proper way and ask after him at the Honolulu Police Department? _Or_ , should she go straight to the Hotel and lay low for a while, get some R&R and plan on the best way to introduce herself to the grandfather she never met, never knew existed, and who _most probably_ , didn’t even know _she_ existed.

The more she contemplated about the best possible choice to commit to, the more her leisure walk turned into a powerwalk and the next thing she knew, she stumbled through an empty venue and two beefy hands grabbed her shoulders and she was slammed against a wall, a knife held to her jugular as some greasy thug _demanded_ she give up her money, adding a ‘ _haole_ ’ for good measure – _whatever that meant!_

Already strung out after the week of complete and utter _hell_ she experienced, barely hanging on to her sanity as she escaped a fate worse than death by the skin of her teeth, Kaydence saw _red_! She had been threatened by worse than some low-life thug and _a knife_ was nothing in comparison to the sheer power a vampire’s bare hands possessed.

“You _seriously_ picked the wrong day to mess with me, pal,” she snarled through gritted teeth.

Large green orbs turned slit-eyed as she grabbed the beefy forearm attached to the hand that held the knife and squeezed with all the strength she could muster on the correct trigger point, impeding the blood flow in his vein and numbing his hand. With a startled shout, the knife slid from his limp grip and clattered onto the ground by her feet. Not daring to let him recover his senses, Kaydence thrust the heel of her palm under his nose, throwing her entire weight into it and eliciting a loud yell of pain from him. Next, she spun around so that his back faced the wall and thrust her elbow into his throat, prompting him to stagger forward onto the ground. Not done with him yet, Kaydence went for the kill; already bent over in pain, she grabbed the back of his neck and brought her knee to strike a solid hit to his bald, tattooed head, making him fall to the graveled ground, unconscious.

“ _Bakayarou_!” she hissed at his slumped form, cursing in Japanese.

“Yo! Are you okay?” a concerned voice permeated the air, drawing nearer, her words interspersed with running footsteps. The adrenaline rush had apparently blinded and deafened her to her surroundings and she sheepishly averted her eyes at the audience she managed to attract. One beautiful woman who looked to be native and in her mid-twenties, rushed forward, effortlessly forcing her way through the crowd to get a look at her. But it wasn’t her warm eyes, soft features or even the brilliant smile that captured her attention, it was the shiny and glaringly obvious police badge hooked to her belt buckle. Seeing her eyes widen on the badge and correctly deducing the reason, she beckoned another officer over – this one decked in the proper uniform – and he wordlessly cuffed and dragged her would-be robber away from the scene. “That was cool moves, gurl. Like for real. Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

She shyly ducked her head and tucked a dark strand behind her hair, “Er, my Mom.”

“Alright, cool,” she beamed, nodding her head. “Well, where is she? I’m pretty sure she’s worried about you-”

Swallowing the lump from her throat, Kaydence hastily interjected as she felt the unmistakable sting of tears in her eyes, “She’s, um, my-my mother isn’t around.” Despite it being over a year since her death, the very mention of her mother still brought Kaydence to her knees and she didn’t want to bawl her eyes out in front of the nice police officer. Thankfully, she didn’t press for information, however, she didn’t drop the subject – understandably; Kaydence could never pass as an adult – _curse my baby face!_

“Then your Dad?” When Kaydence chose to remain silent, the officer sighed, “Look, you’re obviously underage, and by the looks of the lei around your neck and how close we are from the airport, someone must be waiting for you. I can’t just let you walk yourself around without a guardian, not after you nearly got mugged.”

“I can take care of myself!” she retorted defensively. However, her indignation melted as a sudden though struck her. “Wait! You’re an officer, you _can_ help me. Do you, er, do you know where I can find John McGarrett?”

The officer sucked in a sharp breath, genuine surprise coloring her features. “John McGarrett… Why are you looking for him?” sympathy and suspicion fought for dominance, but either case, Kaydence had a bad feeling suddenly consume her. Still defensive, Kaydence shortly retorted, “It’s personal.”

Pursing her lips, the officer scrutinized her for a moment longer before nodding, having come to some internal decision. “Okay, then. Come with me.” She hesitated briefly, striking green eyes landing on her badge which prompted a slow, yet unsure nod out of her and she followed the officer to a cajun red Chevrolet Cruze parked nearby. “I’m Officer Kalakaua. But you can call me Kono,” she shot her a friendly smile as she took the duffle bag and guitar case from her and carefully set them in the backseat. Sliding in, Kaydence inserted the seatbelt and turned to face Kono with a hesitant smile, “Kaydence.”

“Just Kaydence?”

Smacking her lips together, she nodded, “For now.”

* * *

 

Arriving at Headquarters, Steve stopped short once his gaze landed on a teenager sitting in his office, her arms folded on his desk and looking like she’d rather be anywhere but there. Surprised crinkles materialized on his forehead as his eyebrows jumped and he promptly twisted around to see Kono, Chin and Danny staring back at him.

“O _kay_ , and this is the moment where either one of you explain to me _why_ there is a teenage girl in my office,” the tone of voice Steve utilized made it abundantly clear that it was a demand and that one of them should have spoken up the moment he stepped out of the elevator.

Danny and Chin immediately shot pointed looks at Kono, who stepped forward. “Sorry Boss, I didn’t know what to do. The girl, Kaydence, she almost got mugged at knifepoint-”

“ _Mugged_?” Steve interjected in disbelief. “Kono, that’s a case for the Honolulu PD. We don’t deal with almost-mugged victims.”

“If you’d let me finish,” Kono huffed indignantly. Steve compressed his lips together and put both hands out, palm facing her in a silent apology before he gestured for her to continue. “She fought him off, HPD has him in custody. But that’s not the point-

Steve and Danny both wished to press that certain point, impressed that a five foot nothing, defenseless teenager managed to bring an armed man to his knees without a scratch, but they smartly kept their mouths shut and their thoughts to themselves.

-When I asked after a parent or guardian, she clammed up. Wouldn’t say a word until she, I don’t know, she must have remembered I’m an officer. She claims to be looking for your father. I, I didn’t have the heart to tell her anything. Thought maybe you’d be interested in knowing who she is, Boss.”

Rearing back, Steve turned his head to look at the girl from over his shoulder, “Oh. I’m definitely interested.” Sharply meeting Kono’s gaze, he succinctly asked, “Name?”

“Kaydence,” Kono sighed, shrugging defensively at the impatient look Steve gave her, clearly expecting more. “That’s all she’d give me. Barely spoke more than two words on the car ride over. She’s very…stubborn, paranoid, suspicious. Skittish,” that last one, _skittish_ , brought them up short, and they exchanged knowing looks. Skittish was an adjective that usually described somebody on the run.

Clapping his hands together, Steve turned his back on them and walked into his office without another word.

“Nice talking with you,” Danny sarcastically called after him.

The sound the door emitted when Steve closed it behind himself had the girl – _Kaydence?_ – jump barely an inch from her chair and sharply turn her head around to gauge him. If Steve hadn’t been keeping a close eye on her, he would have missed her reaction and he inwardly frowned, bemused as to why a frightened teenager traveled all the way to Hawaii for his father, all the while, not having a clue of his current status.

“Kaydence, right?” Steve asked just for the sake of starting a conversation as he sat himself behind his desk and focused intently on her. He could almost hear Danny rebuking him in his head for leveling the girl with the full force of one of his most intimidating interrogation glares, which went ignored. This girl was a stranger… a stranger looking for his dead father. He had the right to be suspicious.

Almond-shaped eyes defiantly held his gaze, “You’re not John McGarrett.”

“No. I’m not.”

She let out a sound from her throat that clearly expressed her irritation. “Well, I specifically _asked_ for _him_. That lady brought me here to stall me, didn’t she? What’s with the runaround? Am I _like_ , breaking some super-secret law or something?” she snidely spat out, her hand clenching on the strap of her duffle bag and Steve could tell by the way her eyes flickered around, that she was looking for an escape route, planning on running.

“I’m not at liberty to say anything until you tell me what you want from him,” Steve bullshitted.

Again, Kaydence cussed in Japanese, her anger getting the best of her, “ _Kuso_!”

Steve arched an eyebrow, surprised and slightly amused, though one couldn’t tell due to his impressive mask of apathy, “You speak Japanese?”

“ _What_? That a crime _too_?!” she sneered, giving the man attitude. Angrily brushing her hair away from her face, Kaydence got to her feet, “Look, I just want to talk to John. Please just, just take me to him.”

Rubbing his forehead with the ridge of his palm, Steve, repressing his true emotions from bleeding through, coldly disclosed, “John McGarrett’s been dead for almost a month now.”

All color drained from her face, her already big eyes growing a fraction wider and her lips parted in shock. “ _What_? De- _died_? How, wh-when? Oh my God, this can’t be happening,” she murmured the last part to herself, slumping back down into the chair. Steve maintained his silence and observed her, realizing her reaction was sincere. A hysterical laugh left her lips and Steve could hear the sob lodged in her throat, prompting him to cringe. Terrorists, bombs, gang wars he could handle, but crying girls? Sign him out _immediately_. “Story of my life. Of course he’s dead,” she hysterically proclaimed, nervously chipping the black polish from her nails.

“Look, I’m gonna need a name. Your _full_ name,” he pointedly emphasized when she gave him _a look_. “I’m gonna have to have my team look into you-” Steve groaned; he hated it when people interrupted him – well, Danny’s an exception since interrupting people with his angry ramblings was an ingrained habit of his.

“My name isn’t important,” she retorted, angrily swiping a hand across her face to halt the tears from streaming down her face.

Half-standing from his seat, intense green eyes glaring down at her, Steve snapped, “Listen, kid. When some random girl shows up in _my_ island, asking around for _my father_ , you bet it’s important. It’s _very important_!” and he totally ignored the various looks of disapproval his team were fixating him with from outside. _So maybe Danny had a point when he said I wasn’t good with kids_.

If possible, Kaydence paled even more until her olive complexion turned a sickly white. “You-your _father_. John McGarrett is _your father_. Fuck me sideways,” she cussed to herself, eyes wide with horror. “You’re Steve McGarrett?”

“You did your homework,” Steve stated in a clipped tone, his stance completely unimpressed and his suspicion hitting the roof. “Unfortunately I can’t say the same for myself since you’re not really giving me much to go on.” And to his unmitigated surprise, Kaydence didn’t retort with attitude or with more snappy comebacks. Instead, she squeaked out an apology, looking at him as though he were a ghost, or the answer to all her prayers, unnerving him all of a sudden with the three-sixty.

“So much for first impressions,” she laughed to herself. “You see, the thing is-” _and…_ she began rambling. Kaydence was a rambler. Some people found it cute and endearing, some annoying. “-I actually came here hoping to find you but-, I know nothing about you. All my uncle’s searches for you came up blank, which is, you know, understandable, you know, with you being a Navy SEAL, not sticking around in one place too long and the confidential information. Red tape’s a bitch, ya know.” She chuckled hysterically. “But your Dad. John McGarrett. Well, he was easier to narrow down. Retired cop and all, living in O‘ahu. But the information I have of him was dated _months back_ , like, well before May, so he was alive by then, so-”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. Take it easy, alright. _Breathe_ ,” he instructed her. Kaydence promptly obeyed him, inhaling deeply before exhaling slowly, just like he commanded. “Alright. Now, _slowly_ , tell me again. Why is your uncle interested in my whereabouts?”

Kaydence stopped chipping the polish from her nails to nervously wring her wrist and in a small voice, said, “For me.” Peeking at him from under her long, thick lashes, she softly elaborated, “There’s no easy way to say this, but… my mother, her name was Kamyra Gilbert. You knew her before you enrolled…” She trailed off awkwardly, hoping he’d connect the dots without her needing to spell it out for him.

“Kamyra,” Steve breathed the name out in wonder, his tongue caressing its consonants lovingly and almost reverently, and his eyes a million miles away, probably the past. He softly shook his head, “I haven’t thought of her in _years_.” Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and not a particularly pleasant one, “ _Was_ , as in…?”

Unlike with Kono, Kaydence didn’t bother putting much of an effort in curbing the beginning formation of tears, a few drops tracing her cheekbones and coursing down to her chin. “Sh-she died la-last y-year,” she choked out.

He bit the inside of his cheeks, restraining himself from properly mourning the first and only love of his life. Blinking back his tears, Steve sat back down on his chair and uncomfortably cleared his throat, attempting to maintain his indifference, “And your father?”

“I’m looking at him.”

And okay, as mentioned before, Kaydence was a rambler. When Steve froze, obviously going through shock, and continued to stare at her with wide, unmoving and unblinking eyes – come to think of it, now that she knew his identity, Kaydence didn’t know _how_ she missed the fact that they had the exact same shade of green in their eyes – Kaydence got nervous and hence, she started to ramble again, “Mom didn’t keep it from you out of spite. She couldn’t pinpoint your location. No one could. Not my Mom, not my Uncle, not even my friend, who, _by the way_ , is _really_ good at finding things. I just, I don’t want you to think bad about Mom. I mean, _I’m_ not even mad; locating you was like _Mission Impos_ -

He abruptly got to his feet and stormed out of his office.

- _sible_ …” she trailed off. She let out a long, sad sigh and checked her surroundings. “Nice talking to you, I guess. If you didn’t want anything to do with me, could’ve just said so,” she glumly announced to Steve’s chair that was still spinning around by itself. “Nothing ever works out for you, Kay. You should’ve gotten used to it by now.”

Around twenty minutes later, once Steve completed his mini freak out session, he rushed back to his office, only to be greeted with the sight of an empty room.

“ _Damn it_!”

* * *

 

Thinking back on her injudicious bout of impetuousness, Kaydence, as she kept her eyes peeled on the colorful view that zoomed past her, was beginning to have second thoughts regarding her hasty departure from the Ali‘iolani Hale and her subsequent ducking into the first taxi on sight. Perhaps Steve simply needed a moment of respite from her nervous ramblings and be alone with his thoughts and come to terms that he had a teenage daughter and that the woman he loved died without his knowledge. It made sense, Kaydence thought; _she_ at least, had sufficient time to come to terms with all of it. Steve, on the other hand, didn’t, and her nonstop blathering probably made things worse – she mentally cringed at _that_ realization and released a wounded sigh, too quiet for the cabbie to hear; she had a knack for ruining everything. Then again, with her Mom and Uncle John’s death, Kaydence got used to her own flesh and blood not wanting her around, treating her like a pestilence.

_‘Traitor!’_ Elena’s voice echoed cruelly in her head and she bit her lower lip, swallowing back a sob.

_But_! In her defense, running away from her problems was becoming almost like second nature to her… she was turning into–

Her phone ringing loudly in the small space of the taxi snapped her from her depressing thoughts and checking her screen, an ironic smile pulled at her lips: _Speak of the Devil_ …

“Hey, Kat.”

The response was curt and to the point, disapproval lacing her sultry tone, “You were supposed to call me the _second_ you landed, Kay.”

“Yeahhh, about that…” she hedged. “I kinda got distracted.”

A knowing sigh echoed from the other end, “Let me guess. You got preoccupied with your self-abasing thoughts and decided to go for a run.”

“A walk,” she automatically corrected, only to receive an impatient scoff of “ _whatever_ ” in response. “Which led to me almost getting mugged by some wannabe thug-” and, disregarding Katherine’s sarcastic and pointed interruptions interspersed between, Kaydence gave an abridged version of recent events, “-don’t think he took it too well, Kat. He just… _walked out_ and left me there.”

After a short pause, Katherine let out an indifferent hum – which didn’t fool Kaydence for even a second; the teen knew how much Katherine cared about her, despite her weak efforts to show otherwise. She could fool anyone _but_ her. “You ran, didn’t you?” she eventually spoke up in exasperation, it sounding more like a knowing statement than an inquiry that was in need of answering.

Her eyebrows knit together in frustration. “Nobody likes a hypocrite, _Katerina_ ,” she spat out, purposely using her original name to get her point across. The vampire let loose an irritated growl that failed to intimidate the teenager. “I _run_ for my life, Kaydence. I _run away_ from dangerous vampires that pursue me. I _run_ as a form of self-preservation,” Katherine articulated clearly. “That’s _how_ I’ve managed to survive this long, by running. Right now, at this moment, _you’re_ running from confrontation. You’re not running to save yourself. You’re running to _avoid the truth_.”

“Yeah, that my own father doesn’t want me!” she mulishly retorted, a heap of attitude seeping out as she attempted and failed to keep her tears at bay. The pitiful sniffle Kaydence failed to repress had Katherine’s tone soften, “You don’t know that, Kay. You ran before you could find out.”

Blinking the moisture from her eyes, Kaydence softly admitted, “I’m scared, Kat. I don’t think I can take any more blows. I guess…I thought that, maybe if I delay the confrontation, it’d give me more time to prepare for his rejection, ya know?”

“You’re an idiot,” Katherine fondly asserted, the devious and seductive quality to her voice practically nonexistent. “Look, I’m gonna call the Hotel, give ‘em a head’s up in case they give you any trouble. All you have to do is hand over the notarized letter of permission I fabricated for you. Shower, eat, sleep and I’ll call you later tonight, alright? Don’t forget, what’s most important is that you _stay_ _within_ the borders of Hawaii. You are not to step a toe out under _any_ _circumstances_ , you hear me?” she stressed, indicating the utmost urgency that she take her warning into consideration.

Kaydence rolled her eyes, though she couldn’t quite suppress the smile from her face over the fact that _somebody_ cared about her, even the most _unlikely_ being. “I _know_ , Katherine. _I know_. You don’t have to tell me twice.”

The mere thought of what awaited her past Hawaii’s borders scared her to death. Whatever Steve decided to do in regards to her… whether it be accepting her and permitting her to live under his roof, signing all the necessary documents that assigned him as her legal guardian, or keep her away from him, always at arm’s length because he doesn’t want to be a father to a moody teenager that got into more than just a little spot of trouble and dragged a lot of baggage with her to Hawaii… none of it mattered. Kaydence could _never_ leave the Island, at least not any time in the near future.

She may be the only person in existence to ever regard the infamous and elusive Katherine Pierce in such a way, but the manipulative vampire was a godsend to Kaydence, and while some credit went to her mother and Uncle John’s preparedness in the event of their death, most of it lay at the over-five-century-old vampire’s lap, her compulsion, many contacts and considerable cunning ingenuity a boon that aided in getting Kaydence past all the red tape that stood in her way. The vampire also set her up with more money than she was comfortable carrying around with her and arranged for a Suite at The Kahala Hotel & Resort. Katherine being Katherine found herself incapable of giving up the opportunity to splurge, especially when it came to Kaydence, who she was of the belief deserved so much better than life had dealt her, and would do anything to make her life better. Therefore, she didn’t simply reserve for her just _any_ Suite, but the Kahala Beach Suite that was situated in a private, secluded area of the resort with an _absolutely stunning_ ocean view, reserving no expenses.

Admiring the Suite that would be her home for the unforeseeable future, Kaydence pirouetted on the heels of her feet as she devoured her contemporary, chic and comfortable surroundings: Asian antiques, gold silk furnishing, luxurious goose down duvet, expansive rooms, a walk-in closet, a deep-soaking tub that she inched to try, and a wrap-around patio footsteps away from the pristine white sands of Kahala Beach.

_Yup!_ Kaydence was definitely in Paradise and it was all thanks to one, Katherine Pierce.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, at Five-0 Headquarters, the team surrounded the giant table-sized touch computer, Kono and Chin volleying ideas back and forth while Danny incessantly pestered Steve until the SEAL finally exploded. “Just _let it go_ , Danny! Jeez, you’re like a dog with a bone, only the dog knows when to shut up!” he bellowed, his stony composure having collapsed.

Not the least bit offended, Danny bantered back, the animated movement of his hands driving the point home, “Let it go? _Let it go_?! You just found out you’ve got a teenage daughter. A daughter you let out of your sight and because of that just happens to be _missing_ and you want _me_ to _let it go_? Well I _can’t let it go_!”

“Yeah, I get it. I already suck at being a father. _Let it go_!” Steve yelled back, the veins in his neck bulging. Danny’s expression softened and he parted his lips to placate him and explain that _that’s_ not what he meant, but Chin cut in, “Bingo! Here we go – Kaydence Joanna Gilbert.”

Chin swiped a finger across the screen, sending a plethora of results onto the wall version of the computer. The four of them found themselves staring at a treasure trove of information chronicling Kaydence’s birth until present day. For Steve, seeing images of Kamyra and of how she aged gracefully was like a stab to the heart, and he couldn’t believe he ever forgot about her. Merely looking at her contagious sunny smile and twinkling blue eyes frozen on-screen and staring back at him, it ignited his love for her, the spark roaring back to life and he ached for her. It was a herculean effort for the SEAL to tear his gaze from Kamyra in order to fixate his complete and undivided attention onto Kaydence.

Clearing the lump from his throat, Steve professionally demanded, “Alright. What we got?”

Skimming the abundance of information, Chin said, “Kaydence Joanna Gilbert. Only child of Kamyra Elvira Gilbert and Steven Jack McGarrett-” For a moment there, Steve failed to mask his surprise over the fact that Kamyra included his name on Kaydence’s birth certificate and while it wasn’t legal due to his lack signature on the Acknowledgment of Paternity form, Kamyra made it possible for him to one day get custody of her if he so chose to. Knowing Kamyra Gilbert, Steve knew she left no stone unturned in the event that she died and left Kaydence without a parent. “-No permanent residence is recorded. Mother and daughter were globetrotters,” Chin quickly traced the official listing of all the places they traveled and Steve fondly recalled Kamyra telling him about her dream of traveling the world, glad that she fulfilled it. “At least twice a year, they recurrently visit Mystic Falls in Virginia.”

“Yeah, it’s uh, it’s Kamyra’s birthplace,” Steve unnecessarily elucidated.

Kono nodded and took over for her cousin, “Exactly. Mother and daughter frequently sojourned there to visit relatives. Kamyra has two older half-brothers, Grayson Gilbert, married to Miranda Gilbert née Sommers, and John Gilbert, single. Grayson and Miranda have two children, Elena and Jeremy, the latter shares the same birthdate as Kaydence.” Steve perked at that nugget of information, committing to memory his daughter’s birthday: the 13th of October. Kono’s expression turned into sorrow as she read the next report, “Last year, on May 23rd, 2009 in Mystic Falls, Kamyra went with Grayson and Miranda to pick up their daughter Elena from a party and upon their return, the car unexpectedly drove off Wickery Bridge and into the lake. All three adults drowned but Elena somehow made it out alive, her body was found unconscious on the shore.”

“Steve-”

“Continue,” Steve sharply commanded, green eyes dark with anger drilling into the screen, ignoring both, Danny’s attempt to gauge his feelings, _and_ the dual looks of pity Chin and Kono were leveling him with.

Noting Kono’s unease, Chin enumerated what remained of Kaydence’s records, “According to the copy of Kamyra’s will, in the event of her death she appointed her half-brother John as Kaydence’s legal guardian. But according to these-” Chin frowned and leaned closer to the screen, tapping on a document pertaining to the deceased Kamyra Gilbert, “-he gave Jenna Sommers, Miranda’s younger sister, temporary custody. At this point, Kaydence’s address is 2104 Maple Street, Mystic Falls where she lived with her cousins and her aunt’s sister, and she attended Mystic Falls High School as a sophomore.” Tapping once more on Kaydence’s records, he tilted his head in confusion and opened two separate documents attached to John Gilbert and Jenna Sommers. “Here’s where things get inexplicably odd, guys. I got two death certificates, both dated April 28, 2010 and only a couple of hours apart. Jenna Sommers and John Gilbert; the former’s C.O.D. is animal attack, while the latter suffered from a cardiac arrest. What’s odd about it is, according to John’s hospital records, he was a healthy man in his mid-thirties, the epitome of health in fact.”

Danny scowled, “That _is_ odd. And you know what else’s odd? _These_!” He gestured for Kono to look into the town’s history, “First of all, what kind of a town names itself Mystic Falls?” and not waiting for any sort of reaction to his rhetoric comment, he continued, “Look here. Look at the amount of animal attacks amassed throughout the centuries. That’s not normal.”

“You thinking serial killer?” Chin arched a skeptic eyebrow, clearly in disagreement with the hotheaded Detective. Steve shook his head, calmly interjecting, “It’s animal attacks, Danno. Plain and simple. Kamyra told me Mystic Falls has no shortage of wild animals and a lot of people like to go hiking through the woods. Like a, like a pastime for the folks of that town.”

The blonde scoffed, every word that came out of his mouth _heavy_ with sarcasm, “One would think they’d keep away from the woods after the nth person got mauled by an animal.”

Steve added pressure to his forehead with his index and middle finger, sighing loudly, “Chin, what else?”

“June 22, Elena turned eighteen and therefore became Jeremy and Kaydence’s legal guardian,” he matter-of-factly revealed. “But, and here’s where it gets tricky. According to John Gilbert’s will, there’s a Clause, one that can only be opened _personally_ by Kaydence. Apparently, he had his lawyers draw up an iron-clad contract that cannot be contested by _anyone_. He transferred custody to you, Steve.”

The SEAL’s features slackened and realization dawned upon him, “That’s why he spent all his resources searching for me.”

Chin nodded grimly, “Yes. The only thing missing is your signature.”

“I don’t get it. How’s that complicated? Looks pretty straightforward to me,” Danny piped up, his confusion mirrored by Steve and Kono. Chin’s dark orbs bored into Steve with alarming intensity, “The reading of John’s will was executed on October 15 at 2:27 p.m. by Kaydence, but according to this death certificate here-” without taking his eyes off Steve’s, Chin pointed at a newspaper article depicting the burning remains of a car, “-Kaydence _died_ in a car accident outside the boundaries of Virginia nearly two days prior, her body burned beyond recognition.”

“I’m sorry, _what_?” Danny exclaimed, stunned beyond belief.

Simultaneously, Steve snapped, “That’s impossible!”

But Chin wasn’t done yet. “Oh, it was expertly done. For all intents and purposes, Kaydence Gilbert died on October 14, at 1:11 a.m. Dental records identify her as the deceased. If it weren’t for the reading of John’s will, I’d have no veritable proof to contest that, since it’s explicitly stated that no one but her must be present for its reading.” He then typed something and swiped his hand across the screen, allowing an image of an article from Mystic Falls to appear on the wall screen, “That’s Kaydence’s obituary dated just this morning, and this-” another type and swipe, “-is Los Angeles International Airport’s video surveillance showing Kaydence boarding Hawaiian Airlines at 8:20 a.m., and guess who’s sending her off?” he rhetorically inquired.

Observing the video surveillance, Steve floundered for a reasonable explanation to the consecutive blows aimed at his gut. Comparing the video to the various images of Kaydence’s relatives still on display, Elena Gilbert sent Kaydence off, which made absolutely no sense _whatsoever_. “Bilocation’s not possible,” Steve gritted out, nonplussed.

“Well, do you have a rational explanation as to how Elena was able to attend Kaydence’s funeral in Mystic Falls when just three hours _before_ _that_ , she was in Cali sending her off?” Danny inquired, an eyebrow raised and his hands splayed out. But Steve quickly came up with a plausible explanation, “She must have a private jet or went by helicopter. Three to four hours distance by air, she can easily make it on time.”

Kono inclined her head in slight agreement, “Okay. Then answer this. _Why_ would her cousin let her fake her death? Why let everyone mourn her?”

“I don’t know,” Steve sighed, craning his neck upward to stare at the ceiling as though it held the answers to all his questions. “Anything else, Chin, Kono? Got anything more for me?”

Lips compressed, Chin curtly nodded and with one last swipe of his finger across the table touch screen, snapshots of pages from Kaydence’s passport appeared on the wall screen, fixating their attention onto one eye-catching change.

Danny emitted a noncommittal sound, “You gotta admit, she’s very thorough.”

“Kaydence Joanna _McGarrett_ ,” Steve stated.

* * *

 

Stepping out of the shower, Kaydence grabbed two fluffy, ivory towels with gold trimmings and wrapped one around her hair and tied the other around her wet form, marveling at the softness that caressed her skin. Humming tunelessly, she padded into her room barefoot only to smack a hand against her forehead; having woken up from her afternoon nap feeling sweaty and dirty, she rushed to the bathroom without a thought and therefore, the fact that she had yet to unpack her stuff completely slipped her mind.

“Stupid, stupid, Kay,” she grumbled to herself. Tightening the towel around her, Kaydence knotted it and slipped into the sitting room where she recalled leaving her duffle bag on the sofa. “Where are you,” she murmured, green eyes flickering around the room until they screeched to a sudden halt on the figure sitting on the couch and she let out a startled scream, her hand flying to her chest to ensure the towel covered her modesty. “ _What the hell_! You can’t just go barging into people’s homes without permission! Don’t you know how to _knock_!?” she screeched, inhaling and exhaling shakily as she tried to calm her violently beating heart.

Steve, his ankle crossed on his knee, looked completely laidback on her couch, watching her with blazing green eyes. What rankled the most, was he didn’t even look the least bit ashamed or guilty. _No_! He remained unmoving, glaring at her with suffocating intensity, sitting in _her_ Suite as though he belonged. Father or not, it was unacceptable. Evading her short ranter, he calmly spoke up in a voice that resembled steel and elicited a shiver down her spine, “I had a DNA test done after you skipped out. Took a saliva sample from the glass of water Kono offered you earlier.”

Cautiously, almost hesitantly, Kaydence grabbed her duffle bag, sat on the sofa and placed it on her lap, hugging it tightly to herself as she warily assessed the man that sat before her and she had to admit, he cut a striking figure. In fact, if she were to be completely honest with herself, he intimidated her more than _Klaus_ ever did – _imagine that!_

“ _Wow_ , suddenly I feel violated,” she scoffed, using levity to suck some of the tension out of the room. It didn’t work. “You know, if you had any doubts, you could’ve just _asked_. I would’ve given you a sample of my blood or hair or whatever you needed. You didn’t have to do sneaky spy business behind my back,” she indignantly informed him, unable to mask the sadness from her voice.

He ignored her. Dropping his other leg to the ground, he inched closer to get a better look at her, his elbows perched on his knees, “I’m _really_ , _really_ trying to treat this matter with objectivity, but finding out your daughter’s a murderer makes it hard-”

“Whoa, _WHOA_!” she yelled, offended. “I’ve _never_ killed anybody! Where the hell do you come off insinuating that kind of shit!?!”

Technically _not a lie_ ; Kaydence has killed before, _yes_ … _but_! They weren’t human so it didn’t count.

“Then tell me, Kaydence McGarrett, or is it _Gilbert_?” Steve sternly bit out. “Who is that girl that died to corroborate the story of your _death_?” The moment the question escaped his lips, her sharp intake of breath echoed loudly in the room and she sat back in her sofa, a lame attempt to create more distance between them. “What… Cat got your tongue?” She bit her lip, at a complete loss for words. There was absolutely no way she could give him a feasible explanation. It could either go one of two ways: either she tells him the truth and probably gets thrown into a loony bin, _or_ , she spins some wild story and gets tossed into a nice gilded cage until she’s of age and then gets transferred to prison. “Who’s that girl, Kaydence? _Who is she_?”

“I don’t know,” she responded in a hush, crocodile tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t kill her. I swear. I’m _not_ a killer.”

A muscle in his jaw twitched and he looked away. He wasn’t about to fold because he made his daughter cry, _and dammit_! he really was a terrible father. “Fine, we’ll get back to that later. Why’d you fake your death? Change your name? Why’d you run away?”

Recovering some of her bravado, she trained her bloodshot eyes at him and snapped, “What makes you think I’m running? Maybe I just wanted to finally get a chance to know my father. Did ya ever think of that?!”

“That’s a weak answer. Can’t tell if I’m disappointed or not. I expected some smartass excuse out of you,” Steve wryly commented. Slapping a hand on his knee, he moved to get up, “Alright then. If that’s the way it’s gonna be, you’re coming with me to Five-0 Headquarters. I’m sure your cousins will be glad to know that the story of your death was greatly exaggerated and that you’re alive-”

“ _NO_!” she shrieked, shooting onto her feet and backing away from him like a cornered animal. “I’m not going anywhere. You can’t make me!”

A condescending half-smirk spread on his lips and he raised an eyebrow at her. “No? You sure about that?” as though validating his point, he forcefully dropped very legal-looking papers onto the glass table, prompting her eyes to widen as she realized what they were. “Had your uncle’s lawyer fax them to me. You’d be surprised by how fast and thorough I can be when I want something, Kaydence. I sign this, and believe me, I _can_ make you do _anything_ I want. You know why? Because I’ll be legally responsible of you and if I think it’s best to send you back to Mystic Falls, trust me, you’ll be on the first flight over.”

“Please! Please, I’m begging you. Anything but that, _please_!” Kaydence begged him through vicious sobs, any smidgeon of pride going out the metaphorical window as she dropped to her knees and forced her imploring, tearful eyes to meet his alarmed ones. “You can’t send me back to that hellhole, _you can’t_.” From her mouth came a cry so raw that Steve’s eyes were suddenly wet with tears and this time, he was the one to take a step back, speechless as he watched her body shake violently and a thick flow of tears spring from her eyes. “Don’t you get it? You send me back there and I’m as good as dead! _That’s_ what waits for me there! _That’s_ why I killed myself. I didn’t go through all the trouble of faking my death, legalizing my change of name and passport and fly _all the way here_ just for shits and giggles!”

His anger melted away at the pitiful sight, her ominous yet genuinely honest words evoking his paternal side and the protectiveness he usually felt when it came to family, and he crossed the distance between them in one large stride before he knelt to her level and squarely met her tearful gaze. The DNA test was simply a formality; the moment Kaydence revealed that he was her father and Kamyra her mother, Steve _instantly_ saw it, drawing the many parallels between them… Kaydence had his eyes, his hair, his chin and the shape of his cheekbones, everything else was Kamyra. She was a perfect blend of the two of them and knowing this, he couldn’t believe how blind he’d been.

“Tell me. Let me in. I _can_ help you. _Who_ are running from? What kind of danger are you in?” When she stubbornly kept her silence, he pinched the bridge of his noise and exhaled sharply, “I _can’t help_ if you don’t give me anything, Kaydence.”

Maybe it was the sincerity in his voice, or the emotion in his eyes, or perhaps, the sound of her name. Whatever it was, Kaydence drew in a deep breath and shakily said, “Elena. My cousin. I’m running from her, _okay_?”

Bitter disappointment warred with apoplectic rage and it was palpably displayed on his features. Desperately attempting to keep his anger in check, he coolly stated through gritted teeth, “You’re lying.”

“ _No_! No I’m, I’m not. I _swear_ I’m telling you the truth!” she cried out indignantly, shakily getting back to her feet. Turning his back on her, Steve buried his face into his palms and for a brief moment, the room was eerily quiet. That was, until Steve whipped around to glare daggers at her, his voice collected and icy, “There’s footage of you boarding a flight to Hawaii. And _in that footage_ , your cousin, _Elena_!? She sent you off. So you want to repeat that to me, or shall I give you more time to come up with another lie?”

Her expressive eyes, the depiction that Steve usually used when describing Kamyra’s eyes – _another stab to his heart_ – widened, realization coloring them and her pouty lips formed a circle, shaking her head so hard, the towel unwound itself and slipped to the ground, allowing her wet, dark curls to spring free. “That’s, that’s not Elena. That’s _Katherine_! She just, they look alike. They’re, they _aren’t_ twins,” she convincingly insisted. When Steve remained skeptical, she huffed, “Look, you’ve already made it obvious that you checked my entire background. If you can’t take my word for it, check my emergency contact. It’s _Katherine_. Compare it to Elena’s. You’ll get the proof you need.”

“I’m sorry,” he finally bit out, his expression truly apologetic. “I just, I can’t trust you. I want to. More than you know. You’re my daughter. But I can’t. I… I look at you, and I’m terrified that my own flesh and blood is capable of murder for her own personal gain.” He turned to leave, hand on the doorknob and, with his back still turned on her, said, “We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

And, before he could slip out and disappear into the night, she forlornly whispered, “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry for not being the daughter you could one day be proud of.”

The door slamming shut behind him was answer enough and Kaydence collapsed to the ground again and broke into mournful sobs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAST:  
> -Kaydence McGarrett – Lucy Hale  
> -Steve McGarrett – Alex O’Loughlin  
> -Danny Williams – Scott Caan  
> -Kono Kalakaua – Grace Park  
> -Chin Ho Kelly – Daniel Dae Kim
> 
> I hope you liked this chapter! It took a lot out of me because I wanted to make Steve and Kaydence’s introduction very emotional.  
> First of all, if any of the legal mumbo jumbo I wrote is wrong, I’m sorry. I won’t pretend to be an expert in that kind of thing, neither am I a lawyer, so yeah… Also, some of you may be having some harsh thoughts about Steve? Don’t. I really tried to keep him in character, and Kaydence’s story is really suspicious. A daughter of his springs out of nowhere, her death faked and a girl obviously having died in her place… what else is he supposed to think?  
> Hopefully next chapter their relationship will start to thaw. AND! Next chapter will be action-packed! No spoilers! You’ll just have to wait and see! ;)


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Original Witch begins her crusade... and Kaydence's biggest secret is exposed!

_Burning sage wafted through the air._

_“Come forth my son.”_

_Not even bothering to turn around, Esther proceeded to thumb through her grimoire Elijah had kindly returned, having snatched her entire collection back from Niklaus, who had kept them tucked away behind a series of intricate spells, his paranoia knowing no bounds –  and with good reason, she mentally admitted. The moment Finn started to make his way to the Study Niklaus **generously** offered, Esther instantly knew, her favorite and most loyal child’s essence saturating the air in which she breathes._

_Finn’s knuckles paused a hairsbreadth from the door in which he was about to politely knock and patiently wait for his mother to bid him entry. Naturally, his mother was a powerful witch, **the Original Witch** , of course she had a way of knowing when a vampire was in the same vicinity as her._

_“Mother,” a strained smile on his face that looked utterly painful, he stepped into her Study, shocked to the core when Esther responded with a bright smile and moved to embrace him. Caressing the side of his face, Esther gazed at him with sorrowful mahogany eyes, eyes Elijah, Kol, Henrik and himself had inherited. “Oh, my son. My poor boy. You who have suffered the most, I offer my sincerest apologies for cursing you to this life,” the tough witch shed a few tears for the suffering Finn had lived through, nine-hundred years in a void, trapped in a dark abyss, and over a hundred of self-hatred and shame._

_Swallowing the lump from his throat, Finn nodded sharply, “I am ready to move on, Mother. Truly.”_

_“As I knew you would,” Esther planted a kiss on his forehead and released him, returning to the open grimoire. For a while, Finn observed her in silence, shrewd orbs intently following the movement of her index finger as she skimmed through the pages in her grimoire, when finally, he decided to speak up, “About tonight’s ball-”_

_She turned her head a fraction to look at him from over her shoulder, a knowing smile painting her lips, “Elijah, Niklaus, Kol and Rebekah believe I am allowing bygones to be bygones, they believe this ball shall be held to celebrate our reunion. But, it goes without saying, that it is simply an overelaborate ruse.” Esther didn’t fear Finn’s betrayal, not concerned about holding back or sugarcoating her words; for over a millennium, she had schemed in the Other Side, concocting a foolproof plan, patiently waiting for this very moment, and it had finally come to pass. Niklaus’ greatest mistake was keeping Finn daggered and carted around in a coffin for nine-hundred years, and tomorrow night, come the full moon, he shall reap what he sought, for he had created a formidable enemy and provided her with a staunch ally. “In truth, I am gathering them all together to perform a ritual. Unfortunately, I’ve hit a snag, a hindrance I did not envision…” the latter part was spoken mostly to herself, her expression troubled._

_“Snag, Mother?” he hesitantly inquired, a curious lilt in his tone. It was a rare sight for his mother to be at a loss of what to do and her current demeanor was contagious, affecting him as well, despite not knowing the entire details. “You can confide in me and I shall endeavor to assist to the best of my abilities.”_

_She shook her head. “Tell me Finn, where is Niklaus?”_

_Finn gave her a sour look, a prominent scowl decorating his impassive visage, “Apparently he has taken fancy to a mortal teenage girl. From what I have managed to comprehend from Rebekah’s temper tantrum, she is the cousin of Tatia’s latest doppelg_ _änger. Last I heard, he was in the process of selecting a gown for tonight’s ball and fretting on whether he should hand deliver it himself along with an invitation or delegate the task to one of those monstrous half-breeds he sired.” Bitterness coated his statement, his tongue dripping with acid._

_“A futile gesture,” Esther absentmindedly brushed her hand through the air, her expression mirroring Finn’s, looking as though she had sucked a lemon. Exhaling roughly through her nose, she elucidated, “As of last night, Kaydence Gilbert is no longer accounted as an inhabitant of Mystic Falls. She fled amidst the darkness of the night shortly before my resurrection, aided by that bothersome doppelg_ _änger, Tatia’s second shade and Niklaus’ bane… the Petrova vampire.”_

_The eldest son of Mikael and Esther looked bemused, his head tilting a fraction to the side, “I’m afraid I don’t quite understand.”_

_“She is a blight to the world, my son. A powerful witch who has yet to know her full potential and, as of four nights ago, an abomination that must be dispatched at all costs,” sighing, Esther stood behind the desk and slid open the top drawer. “I obtruded the Bennett witch’s subconscious to deliver a message thinking she could handle the situation and promptly dispose of the girl. Alas, she has failed me. I admit my naivety, as I had not taken into account the witch’s morality becoming a serious impediment to her duty.”_

_Withdrawing ‘The Mystic Falls Daily’, Esther shoved the town’s newspaper into Finn’s hand, slapping a hand with unnecessary force on the front page which portrayed a macabre photograph of a stolen car that had been wrecked and burned; the article proceeded to expatiate on how the driver had been burned beyond recognition, the only identifying factor being that the driver was female and that the investigation is ongoing… Finn blinked at the odd jargon, something about ‘forensics’, ‘dental records’ and ‘database’._

_“From what I have managed to witness during my stint on the Other Side-” Esther continued at the confusion that graced her eldest son’s aristocratic features, “-the Petrova vampire has a knack for exaggerating deaths and has chosen to lend her expertise to the Gilbert girl Niklaus has grown immensely fond of.” Noting recognition dawn on him, Esther solemnly nodded, “Yes. Kaydence Gilbert has faked her death and is currently out of our reach. I correctly predict news of her ‘death’ shall be made public two days from now, by then I would have fulfilled my duty of cleansing the curse I allowed to walk this Earth.”_

_A serene smile materialized on Finn’s face at the prospect of **finally** knowing peace and of his mother releasing him from an eternity of shame. “And the abomination?” he inquired._

_Slyly, Esther withdrew a vial from the drawer and placed it atop the newspaper; last night, upon her return, after Esther spoon-fed her children pretty lies regarding forgiveness and becoming a family, she non-verbally cast a Blood Gathering Spell, enabling her to collect the blood that stained two of the white oak ash daggers both Finn and Rebekah wielded against Niklaus upon their awakening. “I have that covered, my brave Finn. You need not worry about a thing. Kaydence Gilbert shall be taken care of…”_

_The vial of Niklaus’ blood ensured it._

* * *

 

A loud gasp resonated in the room.

Almond-shaped eyes snapped open as she jerked into consciousness, her body abruptly shooting upwards into a sitting position. Back leaning against the tufted headboard, Kaydence greedily inhaled and exhaled as she attempted to calm her pounding heart that thundered almost painfully against her ribcage. Her breath steadying, Kaydence smoothed her damp hair back from her sweaty forehead and tilted her head backwards until contemplating striking green initiated eye contact with the ceiling.

The dream- no, not dream… _nightmare_! It seemed so _real_. It _felt_ real, the images so vivid, replaying on and on _and on_ in the recess of her mind in an unrelenting tempo, almost forbidding her from forgetting – _which didn’t make sense_. Usually, whenever Kaydence found herself plagued by dreams or nightmares, no matter how inconsequential they happened to be, the details always ended up fuzzy, constantly eluding her, and the more she tried to hold onto them, the faster they slipped through her fingers.

But now… _now!_ she could clearly identify and capture each and every distinguishing features that set the two subjects from her _nightmare_ apart.

More than ever, Kaydence wished that Katherine had picked up her art supplies; unfortunately, it was either _that_ or her guitar and _nothing_ trumped her beloved instrument. Having fled Mystic Falls in secret and with time against her, Kaydence didn’t really have time to properly pack her belongings, the decision to uproot her entire life a spur-of-the-moment instance her life banked on.

Striking greens frantically scrutinized the room, widening in victory once they landed on the customized notepad and pen emblazoned with the hotel logo. She hurriedly jumped out of bed, grabbed both items from the vanity and haphazardly dropped to the ground, arranging herself in a cross-legged position as she hunched over and wasted no time to sketch out the details that were seared into her memory.

She didn’t know how much time had passed when she finally put the pen down and leaned back to assess both sketches with a critical eye. Her hands itched to research their identities, curious to know if the teenage girl and grim-faced man were both figments of her imagination… _if only_ she had her laptop.

Her train of thought got abruptly interrupted by the shrill ringing of the landline phone as it pervaded the room, startling her and prompting her to shoot to her feet, her sketches and the reason behind them filed away to ponder over later.

* * *

 

Staring heavenward, he exhaled a large, irritated puff of breath which morphed into an exasperated sigh, and he pocketed his phone. Suffice to say, Mary was _extremely_ displeased. Actually, displeased was an understatement, his little sister was _furious_ in a ‘breathing fire, claw out your eyes if you so much as look at me’ kind of way. In retrospect, perhaps Mary deserved more of an explanation and… Steve _definitely_ should have cancelled his plans with Catherine.

Receiving a call from the Governor about a case – _despite it being a Saturday_ – Steve took his customary five-minute shower, leaving Catherine in his bed to squeeze in more sleep before she had to leave for work and suddenly, the sort of ominous and probably a little intimidating promise he made to Kaydence the other night hit him like a freight train. Unfortunately, he couldn’t squeeze her in; he had to rush over to the ME’s Office and had no time to spare. In hindsight, informing Mary via text message that she had a sixteen-year-old niece and that he needed her to babysit probably wasn’t the best method to break the news, but in his defense, his mind was all over the place and he was in a hurry.

Surprisingly, Mary processed the life-altering news _much_ better than he did; her problem _wasn’t_ the fact that Steve had a daughter. _No_! What evoked a major tongue-lashing from his childish and laidback baby sister was that Steve left his daughter – “ _A minor, Steve! She’s just a kid with nobody to turn to and who came all the way here to find her family!_ ” – at a hotel and then had the audacity to return home to quote, _deal with apparently, more important matters, like banging the brains out of some spunky brunette, instead of taking the time to tell me_ , unquote. That Mary actually had a point in regards to how he treated the revelation of him having a teenage daughter portrayed how much Steve messed up. Family comes first, it _always_ came first, and while some – namely Mary – could argue that their father didn’t think so when he sent his children to the mainland and then proceeded to keep them separated, Steve knew better; he knew John McGarrett had their best interests at heart upon coming to that tough decision.

Groaning, Steve buried his face into his palms and rubbed his face before flying into Headquarters where his team stood waiting for him, congregated around the computer. Danny’s eyebrows immediately hit his hairline, “Whoa, okay! What’s got you in a mood? I just left you and you were smiling. _Smiling_ , Steven. Suspiciously happy which does not equate to working on a _Saturday_! Now though, _now_ you look like somebody ran you over with their car and got away with it. What’s going on?”

Sympathy coloring her soft features, Kono hit it on the nose, “Is it Kaydence?”

“ _Mary_ actually, but yeah, Kaydence related,” the Navy SEAL pressed his thumb and index finger against his temples and did a small shake of his head. “Let’s just say my sister didn’t take too well to me telling her she has a niece by text-” he cut himself off, lifting a hand to silence Danny’s incoming maunder. “I know, I know, probably wasn’t my finest moment, but I was already running late as it is and I need someone to keep an eye on Kaydence ‘til I figure her out.” Complete silence met his statement. Lifting an eyebrow, Steve rolled his eyes at Danny, who was staring at him with a pinched expression, literally biting down on his lower lip to keep himself from talking, a clenched fist pressed against his mouth. “ _Now_ you can talk,” he waved a hand at his partner.

Danny didn’t even waste a second, his lips parting immediately – for a while now, Steve was under the suspicion that Danny _really_ liked the sound of his own voice more than anything. “I’m sorry, I’m-I’m sorry, but you sent Mary to watch over your daughter?” Chin didn’t miss Steve’s subtle flinch at the Jersey Detective’s blunt choice of word. Looking around, hands splayed out, Danny let out an amused chuckle, “Am I the _only one_ to see the irony in that? Just last week Mary needed a babysitter and _now_ , you’re having her do the babysitting.”

“Danny…” Kono trailed off warningly, shaking her head; New Jersey really lacked a mouth filter.

Slightly aggravated, Steve turned to meet Danny’s gaze head on, “What else was I supposed to do, huh? Get HPD to tail her around?” Rhetoric and snide perfectly described the tone he implemented. “I’d rather keep her identity on the down-low for now, at least until I’ve figured out her angle. I trust you guys and I trust Mary. I can’t trust HPD, not with this.”

Taken aback, Kono, her tone one of profound surprise, asked, “You think she’s got some ulterior motive?”

In a sense, Kono understood where Steve was coming from, he was a highly decorated Navy SEAL, trained extensively and ‘paranoia’ had basically been hardwired in him; irregardless of her familial tie to him, he couldn’t put his nature on standby and ignore the irregularities, it wasn’t _Steve McGarrett_ behavior. The difference between him and Kono is that she hadn’t forgotten Kaydence’s skittish behavior. Her background check may be extremely fishy and a genuine cause for suspicion, Kono’s instincts were basically screaming that the teenage girl was a victim, one running scared who desperately needed her father’s help.

The steel in Steve’s eyes softened and he looked conflicted.

Noting this, Chin vocalized an observation, “I’ve been thinking…You know what they say about coincidences?” Three enquiring pairs of eyes flickered to him. “They usually need a lot of planning,” he stated with a quirk of his lips. “The technique in which Kaydence’s death was faked and it’s execution… there’s _absolutely_ no way it wasn’t planned in advance. And, if you ask me, it looks professional.”

“What are you saying?” Danny inquired, flummoxed.

“I’m saying, Kaydence must have known that one day, she’d need to fake her death. There’s too many coincidences piling up,” Chin rationalized, reopening Kaydence’s legal files. “I checked last night, after you left,” he glanced at Steve, who slowly unfolded his arms and approached the computer, astute eyes burning on the documents. “Her passport, her name change. _Even_ her stay at the Kahala!” Turning around to squarely meet the SEAL’s intense gaze, Chin revealed, “ _Steve_ , Kaydence is a _minor_ , she has an Affidavit of Consent signed by her cousin Elena, giving her permission to travel by herself, as well as a notarized permission sent ahead to the Kahala. It’s too planned, too perfect. There are no holes, Steve. Something like this takes months to plan, especially with all the red tape involved.”

His heart plummeted the more Chin unveiled the alarming revelations. Masking his hurt behind a cloak of fury, Steve snarled, “Last night, I decided to stop by her Suite to confront her. She remained unforthcoming, extremely tight-lipped. It was only _after_ I threatened to sign the contract that transferred legal guardianship to me and send her back to Mystic Falls, that she cracked.” Danny made a face, disapproval palpable on his expressive visage at Steve’s blatant admission to having threatened his _daughter_. “Yeah, yeah, Danny I’m horrible with kids, that’s not important,” Steve waved him off, striking green orbs ablaze. “What _is_ important is that Kaydence claimed to be running _from_ her cousin, the _same_ Elena that’s apparently conspiring _with her_.”

“Well that doesn’t make any sense, either,” Kono frowned, wondering if maybe she had read Kaydence wrong and that her instincts were on the fritz.

Steve flicked a hand under his chin and emphatically nodded, “I _know_ she’s lying to me. We have visual proof of that! But at the same time, something doesn’t add up. Evidence points to Kaydence being on the run.” Every single observation he filed away came flooding back with startling clarity, “I agree that her faked death must have been planned beforehand, but if that’s the case, then why does she only have a duffle-bag on her? If it was planned in advance, shouldn’t her possessions be more than a change of clothes enough for a week?” And yeah, he snooped while Kaydence was in the shower. “Then there’s the first class seat and the expensive Beach Suite… where’s the money coming from? Because last we checked, while the Gilbert’s are well off, they can’t afford to be extravagant.”

“Another thing,” Kono hesitantly spoke up, conceding defeat – she was adamant Kaydence was a victim, but she wasn’t blind nor was she an idiot, her backstory was incredibly fishy. “When she was about to get mugged yesterday, I saw the whole thing go down before I could interfere. She was held at knifepoint and there wasn’t even a flicker of fear in her eyes. She didn’t look terrified, she didn’t beg. She was calm. _Too calm_ , like…” She bit her lower lip and inhaled deeply, “Almost like Kaydence was used to being threatened, like she’s used to near-death experiences. Apparently a knife to her jugular is considered child’s play from what I managed to deduce.”

Yeah, Steve didn’t like that. He may be suspicious of the teenager and yeah, all the gathered evidence pinpointed to the horrifying fact that his own flesh and blood was capable of committing murder for her own personal gain – a part of _Kamyra!_ – but in no certain terms did it mean Steve wanted her placed in harm’s way.

Finally, Steve shook his head, his expression the impassive Navy SEAL mask he perfected over a decade ago, “Look, let’s just, let’s just catch our murderer. Robin Reeves’ life is on the line. _She’s_ our priority for now.” Approaching the vertical screen hanging overhead, he turned to Chin for Intel, “What d’you get?”

Sighing forlornly, Chin shared a quick glance with Danny and Kono, both of whom were staring at Steve in concern, and acquiesced, “Checked with the State. No credible threats against the ambassador in the last three months—”

* * *

 

The last possible scenario Kaydence expected when the landline installed in her Suite began to ring off the hook was for the front desk clerk to report that _she_ had a _guest_ waiting, a gutsy blonde woman that lacked proper patience. First came shock, then confusion which soon morphed into intrigue, wondering what blonde in Hawaii knew of her existence and then last, _excitement_ consumed her, eager to get dressed and identify her mysterious visitor – after all, _she lacked a social life and starved for attention_.

Kaydence rooted through her duffle-bag to look through her scant choice of outfits to wear before finally slipping into a white, fluorescence chiffon loose Bohemian-styled dress with a jewel neckline that cascaded to the line right above the knee and accentuated her olive complexion. She styled her dark waist-length curls into a quick ponytail, ensuring no errant strands fell into her face and shoved her feet into a pair of plain silver sandals, forgoing makeup. Darting throughout her Suite, Kaydence grabbed her hippie one-shoulder purse and threw in her phone, wallet and room-key before she burst out the door and ran to the lobby.

Skidding to a stop, Kaydence blatantly stared, vehemently taken aback by the genuine, face-splitting smile etched on the gorgeous blonde’s face once their eyes collided. What surprised her even more was when the strange lady closed the distance between them and pulled her into an almost suffocating embrace. “Oh my _God_!” she giggled in delight, her voice naturally husky that rang familiar bells. Blinking at the woman, Kaydence offered her a hesitant smile, her gaze inquiring. “I’m _Mary_!” she exclaimed. “Steve’s sister. I’m your auntie!” and the woman, her _aunt_ – she amended – appeared sincerely _ecstatic_ to be related to her, adamantly maintaining skin contact as she started tugging her out of the lobby and into the sun.

It was all so… _surreal_ , the feeling of being _wanted_ , of being _accepted_ , to the extent that Kaydence had to repress tears of unadulterated joy from spilling out.

There were no other words that could properly describe her… Mary McGarrett – _her aunt!_ she excitedly reminded herself – was amazing! Kaydence easily distinguished her behavior to be quite similar to a teenager’s; she had the spirit of an eternal youth – cool and erratic. But what thrilled Kaydence most of all, was Mary’s striking green eyes, identical to hers and Steve’s, offering further proof that _yes_ , Kaydence _is_ related to them, that they _are_ her family…her blood!

“So,” Kaydence prefaced, pausing for a brief moment to slurp her delicious Hawaiian Berry Smoothie, dipping her finger into the orange-mango layer and licking it clean. Taking notice of Mary’s amused eyes fixated on her, Kaydence flashed her a bashful smile and sheepishly wiped her hand on a napkin. “Did Steve tell you to come babysit me?”

Mary threw her head back, a bark of laughter escaping her, “Technically, whether he asked or not, nothing would have stopped me from coming to see you. You’re my _niece_. I have a _niece_!” She extended both arms out in a grand motion, beaming brightly at Kaydence who was starting to blush at the sincere enthusiasm her aunt was radiating. “While Steve _did_ ask me to keep an eye on you, I’d have come anyways, so it doesn’t really count as babysitting, does it? And…” she trailed off to stare at the petite brunette with an eyebrow raised, “ _Steve_? Shouldn’t you be calling him _Dad_?”

_She wanted to… more than anything in the world!_

All her life, Kaydence never had the chance to utter the word ‘Dad’, because her entire life, she existed without one. It was always Kaydence and Kamyra; mother and daughter against the world. She had cousins, uncles, an aunt and a quasi-aunt, but never a father. But Steve _clearly_ had reservations about her and she felt _unwanted_ by him, a disappointment to her hotshot of a father who had received a boatload of awards and personal decorations in his lifetime for being a paragon human of righteousness; an honorable and venerable man of virtue and integrity; a highly decorated Navy SEAL respected and admired by important officials probably worldwide…

“Ever since he found out I’m his daughter, he’s walked away from me not once, _but twice_. He doesn’t want me, Mary-”

Her tone scolding, Mary abruptly cut in, “How many times do I have to tell you, it’s either _Aunt_ or _Auntie_ Mary. You’re _my niece_!” Repeating herself for the millionth time, Mary beamed at the girl. She didn’t know this _Kamyra Gilbert_ her brother dated when he was a teenager, but what she did know, was that Kaydence looked so much like her brother, and she could even draw parallels in their behavior and personality. Kaydence was _gorgeous_ and obviously a troubled teen starving for affection; for that reason, Mary itched to strangle Steve for treating _his daughter_ with apathy, like she was some suspect he had to investigate.

Deciding changing the subject was in order, Mary grinned, “Tell me about yourself. I want to know _everything_ about my beautiful niece!”

And she did… well, a heavily edited version.

Kaydence told her about her mother, how they traveled the world and dipped into the many cultures, how Kamyra was adamant that Kaydence be capable of defending herself, which explained how she managed to best her would-be mugger; Kaydence briefly mentioned her Uncle Grayson, and that she found him creepy, always standing to the side and judging her and her mother’s choice of lifestyle, demanding that Kaydence would be better off in Mystic Falls, getting a proper education in a school with people her age, instead of traipsing around the globe. She spoke about her Aunt Miranda and of how she, like Kamyra, encouraged her artistic ability, her aunt by marriage usually playing mediator between her mother and Uncle Grayson and even herself and her cousin Elena who never got along with each other, unlike her cousin Jeremy. She even spoke about her quasi-aunt, Miranda’s younger sister Jenna, and of how alike she was to Mary. Once Kaydence got started on her Uncle John, Mary could sense the deep bond and love she held for him; the teenager shed some tears when she revealed he died recently and of how lost she was without him in her life.

“…after the accident, Elena and I grew further apart. She was more interested in starting fresh with the new guy in town, Stefan. Jeremy went through a downward spiral; drugs, alcohol, the town druggie, you name it, and, in the process, he abandoned me,” she sadly divulged. “Jer and I, we always got mistaken as twins. We were always close, two peas in a pod; we share the same birthday, we’re both artists… but, when the accident happened, he changed. Which, yeah, _duh_ , grief changes you, I know. It’s just, I thought we were closer than that, you know,” she rambled, and Mary let her, devouring every piece of information Kaydence was willing to share, whether they were pertinent or insignificant. And best of all? She _adored_ her ramblings, unlike Elena and her gang who found it irritating. “By Halloween, we mended our relationship but then, Elena started coming between us—”

She then proceeded to give Mary an abridged version of Elena’s love triangle with the Salvatore brothers, the highlights being Kaydence’s fondness for Stefan and hatred for Damon who Elena was currently _kind of_ involved with, having traded brothers.

Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Mary went for another topic change, not liking the subtle emotion of fear displayed on her niece’s visage at the mere mention of this Damon Salvatore fellow. “What about _guys_?” she winked. “You got anyone special in your life?”

The blonde cringed, the misery gracing Kaydence’s features screaming that she had made a bad call.

“There was,” Kaydence glumly confessed in a barely audible voice and Mary had to lean forward to properly identify the words that came out of her mouth. “Nik… he-he treated me like a princess. I was always his first and only choice and he, he _respected_ me. Despite the age difference between us, he listened to me, considered me as his equal, he never looked down _at_ me, but _to_ me, ya know? He made me feel safe and special and loved. I-I-” an attractive scarlet flush materialized on her cheeks. Leaning forward in a conspiratorial manner, Kaydence whispered, “I lost my virginity to him…”

Thrilled that Kaydence _trusted her_ enough to confide in something _so_ personal, Mary jumped out of her seat and deposited herself in one closer to her niece. “Do you _regret_ it or-”

The teenager rapidly shook her head, eyes wide at the thought, “No, no. Never.  To sound corny, it was _magical_. I-I _love_ Nik.”

“Then?” Mary probed, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion, not seeing the problem.

Kaydence looked away, eyes fixated on the immensity of the ocean, a bitter smile on her face, “Elena and her posse didn’t approve. Their reaction was actually quite frightening to be honest. Then…well, circumstances happened and, I had no choice but to sever any and all contact with him and I came down here. So-”

All of a sudden, Kaydence sucked in a sharp intake of breath, feeling as though she had the wind knocked out of her and her hands automatically clutched her stomach. Soft hands were instantly on her, drawing soothing circles against her back and she could hear her aunt calling her name from a distance. Feeling slightly woozy and feverish, Kaydence blinked as three Mary’s appeared in her field of vision and spots danced before her eyes.

“Kaydence, what is it? What’s wrong?” Mary fretfully asked, deep green orbs vivid with concern.

Shaking her head, Kaydence immediately regretted it, her hand flying to press against the side of her head. “I don’t feel so good,” she moaned, blinking frantically. “Cramps,” she lied, clutching her stomach tighter. “It’s nothing, you know, my time of the month,” she let out an awkward chuckle, quickly springing to her feet and feeling immensely grateful Mary chose to have lunch in The Veranda at the Kahala Hotel.

Purse in hand, Mary made to stand, “Do you want me to-”

“ _No_!” Kaydence yelled, distraught. She regretted her tone and shot her aunt an apologetic half-smile, half-grimace, “I mean, it’s, it’s nothing that an afternoon nap couldn’t cure. I’ll, I’ll see you soon, right?” And barely waiting for Mary to respond with a complete sentence, Kaydence turned tail and dashed to the secluded section of the hotel where her Suite was.

Slamming the door shut behind her, Kaydence leaned her back against the door, using it for support as she began losing her balance. Perspiration accumulated on her forehead and dripped down her face, there was a pounding in her head and she was attacked by shortness of breath as her entire body shook with violent coughs. She slid down the door and curled onto the floor, allowing her sweaty forehead to press against the door; Kaydence put a hand over her mouth as her vicious coughs renewed.

“Oh, oh-oh my _God_ , _oh my God, oh my God_!” she exclaimed, sobbing hysterically, eyes wide with horror transfixed on the dark spot on her hand – she was coughing up blood.

* * *

 

“Little Bonnie Bennett,” she crooned mockingly, her stance one of a fearsome predator that should be taken seriously. “Took you long enough,” she huffed with a lazy roll of her dark eyes, a devious smile on her crimson painted lips that gave her a more sinister appearance.

She had been bored to _tears_ for the better half of the day, itching to rip out a couple of hearts with her bare hands the more she forced herself to listen from afar as Bon-Bon whined about the unfairness of her life and Bennett Sr. complain about her inability to connect to the Earth now that she was a member of the undead. But it was worth it, after all, good things come to those who wait, and her upcoming heart-to-heart chat with Bonnie Bennett was crucial to her next move, especially since she wasn’t the type of person who liked stumbling around blind.

A lot of patience and stealth was required and it wasn’t until nightfall that the perfect opportune moment struck and she pounced, immediately taking advantage of the idiot mortal’s naivety. Knocking him out, she dragged him into the barn – where thankfully, no invitation was needed, a loophole those arrogant Bennett witches didn’t take into consideration – where she tied him to a chair.

All that was left for her to do was lie in wait… and Abby Bennett didn’t disappoint.

Like a chain reaction, everyone in the vicinity trickled into the barn like a couple of brainless chickens. Still adapting to her enhanced abilities, Bennett Sr. only managed to sense the mortal in the barn and not the trap that awaited her; she sped inside only to get her neck snapped by an unseen force, falling lifelessly onto the ground which culminated in her joining Jamie, however, she was restrained with vervain-laced ropes for good measure. And finally, noticing their odd absence, Bonnie Bennett and Caroline Forbes stormed into the barn, arrogantly believing they stood a chance against _her_ – _as if!_

“ _Katherine_!” Bonnie spat out her name, her voice a mixture between a startled gasp and a snarl. Vampire Barbie, for her part, smartly maintained her silence, choosing to observe.

Smirking, Katherine knocked the mortal boy out once more and, before Bonnie could even think about giving the vampire an aneurysm, Katherine shoved her hand into Abby’s chest, holding her heart in a vice grip.

Abby grunted in pain and Bonnie cried out, “ _No_!”

Glaring at the manipulative vampire who had effortlessly taken the role of the bane of Mystic Falls, Caroline snapped, “What do you _want_?”

“Straight to the point. _Perfect_ ,” Katherine purred, adding slight pressure to Abby’s heart to prompt another painful grunt from the former witch, taking morbid delight in the fright that flickered in Bonnie’s usually defiant hazel-green orbs. “I want answers. Answers only Bon-Bon can give me. So, let’s play a little game, _shall we_ , I ask a question and you, _answer_ ,” Katherine squeezed the heart particularly tight, eliciting a harsh gasp that sounded suspiciously wet from Abby – suspicions that were confirmed when shortly after, a line of blood started to slide down the corner of her lips to her chin. Bonnie and Caroline instinctively put a respective foot forward, ready to charge, but Katherine casually curled her hand around Jamie’s neck, _again_ , prompting them to halt. “One lie and I rip out mommy dearest’s heart. You lie to me again, and I snap this mortal’s neck. _Understood_?”

When Bonnie simply glared, arms crossed tightly against her chest, defiantly keeping her silence in a show of resistance, Katherine squeezed harder and Abby emitted a wail that had Caroline cringe, shattering Bonnie’s veneer of temerity. “I said _understood_?” Katherine snarled, a warning lacing her tone.

“Yes, _yes_! Understood, what do you want!?” Bonnie shouted, moisture accumulating in her eyes at the precarious position her mother was in. Her hand relaxed, loosening its hold and Abby slouched in relief, “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”

A rush of power infiltrated her veins; Katherine loved being in a position of power, she always had. She was a _predator_ , it was in her nature, and part of her wanted to revel at having the defiant Bennett witch who brought _Klaus_ to his knees, at _her_ mercy, the life of another literally in her hands. Katherine wanted to taunt Bonnie and then crush her like a bug, but she couldn’t; she was on a fact-finding mission. Also, her last trip to Mystic Falls taught her a valuable lesson: when it came to the Scooby Gang, one must always be vigilant and _never_ let their guard down. There were much more important things than revenge and Katherine promised to look after and protect Kaydence. “What spurred you to do it?” At the dual expressions of confusion Katherine found herself on the receiving end of, she rolled her eyes in irritation, “ _Must I_ spell it out: _Kaydence_! Here I thought you were all righteous and wouldn’t dare harm an innocent girl.”

Caroline averted the doppelgänger’s gaze, too ashamed and nauseated at the reminder; nightmares of Kaydence had been plaguing her for a week now. On the other hand, Bonnie grew incensed, squarely meeting Katherine’s gaze, “She _deserved_ it. She _betrayed us_.” Shaking her head, the witch snarled, a mocking quality in her voice, “Didn’t peg you for one to care about us lesser beings, Katherine. She’s dead.” Caroline flinched, taking a subtle step back and even Abby’s eyes widened in horror, shocked at her daughter’s callousness. “What happened to Katherine Piece always looking out for _herself_?”

“Betrayed you, you say?” Katherine hummed in a manner of fake nonchalance, the fury in her dark orbs that usually shone with apathy, a huge indication that she currently was in a volatile mood. With her other hand, she lightly stroked the base of Jamie’s neck, prompting a shaky inhale from Abby which went ignored as the manipulative vampire spoke up, “You don’t fool me, Bonnie Bennett. You forget, I had an eye on Mystic Falls long before I made my appearance. You never liked Kaydence. You’ve always been – what’s the word…?” She adopted an expression of mock confusion before smirking slyly, “Impartial. Then, once you began honing your witchy powers, you realized Kaydence wasn’t a simple girl that could be trifled with, that she possessed _immeasurable_ power, power she herself knew absolutely _nothing about_ , which _you_ took advantage of, instead of befriending her and helping her.” Bonnie’s eyes, if possible, widened even more, unconsciously shaking her head and completely devoid of words at Katherine’s accurate deduction. “But here’s where it gets tricky… you started liking little Gilbert, a boy who thought the world of Kaydence, so you forced yourself to play nice, though you still kept her at arm’s length. Kaydence _knew_ , Bon-Bon. She knew your friendly behavior towards her was just an act for Jeremy, but she loved Jeremy so much, his happiness more important than her feelings, so she let it go and played pretend. Of course, until young Jeremy cheated on you with a ghost,” the vampire had a Cheshire smile grace her features, taking great joy in Bonnie’s pain. “So you dropped the act.”

Blondie turned to face the witch, shock palpable on her visage, “Bonnie, is this, is it true?” Yes, she knew the part Bonnie played in Kaydence’s capture, but she was under the assumption that her witch friend had been misled, forced to uphold her duty to Nature.

Bonnie disregarded her best friend. Letting out a humorless snort, Bonnie sneered, “What’s with the trip down memory lane?”

“Oh, nothing,” Katherine waved a hand, her dark orbs assessing Caroline and the conflicted emotions that passed her blue eyes. “I simply wanted to crush Care-Bear’s illusion of you. Now-” again, she squeezed Abby’s heart, “-answer my question. Kaydence was oblivious of her condition, _you_ , on the other hand, _weren’t_. Tell me, how you found out and _don’t_ -” she squeezed harder, “- _lie_!” a guttural yell escaped Abby, sweat materializing on her face.

“ _Esther_!” Bonnie blurted out, her words rushed, a hand extended in a stop gesture. “It was Esther!”

Katherine noticeably stiffened, her head turning a fraction in slow motion to gauge the witch, the sincere fear in her orbs sealing her surmissions. “Mama Original?” at Bonnie’s frantic nod, she murmured to herself, “Well, that changes things.” Tightening her grip, Katherine snarled, “ _How_? When you had Kaydence captured and tortured, Esther was still in a _box_!”

“She came to me in a dream and told me _everything_ ,” the witch confessed, albeit _grudgingly_. “I didn’t know who she was, so I didn’t know whether she could be trusted. I personally thought she was lying. I may not like Kaydence, but I never believed she was capable of that sort of betrayal,” she spat out, hazel-greens locked on the hand impaling her mother’s chest, inducing her to keep talking. “I told Elena and Damon, and they agreed to help, tricking her to stop by the Boarding House and keeping her in the cellar. I-I cast a spell and it, it revealed the truth. Esther didn’t lie to me so I trusted her and well, you know the rest,” she sneered.

A heavy silence saturated the barn, allowing Katherine the chance to quickly process the myriad of thoughts swimming in the recess of her mind. _Esther_ started all this; whilst dead, the Original Witch interfered with the living; _Esther_ was the catalyst to Kaydence’s suffering. _It was Esther_! And, like a slap to her face, realization dawned on Katherine – faking Kaydence’s death and aiding her in seeking shelter in Hawaii only kept her safe from Elena, Bonnie and Damon, _not Esther_. Esther was a _whole new_ ballgame and Katherine would bet _her life_ that the Original Witch wasn’t fooled by Kaydence’s ‘tragic death’ – _meaning_ , she wasn’t safe.

The vampire’s chaotic contemplations, while it seemed longer, only took half a minute to process. Meeting Bonnie’s gaze, Katherine came to a _reluctant_ decision that she had no time to waste on vengeance; she had to get in touch with Kaydence and manipulate a powerful witch into cloaking her. “As much as I _enjoyed_ our little chat-” in the blink of an eye, Katherine withdrew her bloody hand from the former witch’s chest, twisted her neck and appeared behind Bonnie, effortlessly knocking her out. Unfortunately, Caroline employed her enhanced speed, disappearing across the barn and out of Katherine’s immediate reach, her subsequent words making her pause, “How’s Kaydence doing?”

“Rotting six-feet under, but otherwise fine,” the brunette snarkily replied, eyes rolling aggressively in their sockets. “Now if you don’t mind…” she trailed off and turned to leave, having more important matters to take care of than converse with Blondie. Caroline however, surprised her again with her astute thinking, “I know Kay’s alive, Katherine. _I_ called you, remember?”

The manipulative vampire whipped around and appeared in front of Caroline, her fingers curled around the blonde’s neck. “What are you getting at?” she snarled.

Calmly, Caroline placed a hand over Katherine’s, not bothering to struggle as she knew it was futile; the vampire was much older than her and, to quote Damon, if Katherine wanted her dead, she’d be dead. “You forget _I know you_ , Katherine. 1864, you faked your death to escape Klaus. You think I wouldn’t be able to connect the dots once Kaydence’s death came out? You’re an _expert_ at faking deaths!” she exclaimed as though it were the most _obvious_ statement. “ _I’m_ the one that called you,” she repeated. “No one knows you’re the one that helped Kaydence escape and get out of Mystic Falls.”

“And you didn’t tell precious Elena. _Why_?!” suspicion coated the brunette’s mostly rhetoric inquiry, unwilling to believe the blonde newbie. Caroline confidently met her gaze, “Kay saved my life, Katherine. When Klaus had Tyler bite me… when Klaus healed me, he told me, he said that if it weren’t for Kay he’d have left me for dead. I don’t _just owe her_ , I actually like Kay. When I saw her, the state she was in, what my _friends_ and Damon were doing to her…” The blonde emphatically shook her head, disbelief and disgust warring for dominance, “I didn’t agree with what they were doing, and I couldn’t just leave her, but, like you constantly like reminding me, I’m a newbie vampire. Going against Damon would be suicide and I knew you have some weird bond with Kay. _That’s_ why I called you. So _no_ Katherine, I kept my mouth shut and pretended to mourn her and the thought of telling them the truth didn’t even cross my mind, not for a second because I know _they_ would never give up and continue to pursue her.”

Katherine held eye contact for a while longer, dark calculating orbs piercing the blonde before she finally nodded and released her. “Be sure to keep your mouth shut, or you’ll have me to answer to,” she threatened, though inwardly, Katherine was confident the blonde wouldn’t say a word. Unlike the others, Caroline had been the only one to accept Kaydence and show her kindness and, despite her ‘betrayal’, Caroline would never wish harm upon her. “For now, she’s safe, but knowing about Esther’s involvement, I can’t be so sure, so _sorry_ gonna have to dash,” she snidely imparted and, not waiting for a rebuttal, Katherine snapped her neck for her protection, knowing that Bonnie would be suspicious if Katherine left Caroline unscathed.

Flashing over to her rental car, Katherine whipped out her phone in order to check on Kaydence’s wellbeing, only for her eyes to widen on the seven missed calls she received from said person. Her hand slammed into the steering wheel, “ _Crap_!”

* * *

 

Ominous chanting echoed in the confined room, eight lit candles positioned around the room to form an octagonal shape the only source of light, casting an arc of gloomy orange in the blackness. Inside the octagon, a pentagon had been fashioned from blood and within the powerful symbol, two individuals sat in a kneeling position, the flickering flames casting a sallow color to their face.

The cessation of chanting brought an inquiry to his lips, “Mother, what if it doesn’t work?”

“It will,” she confidently stated, leaving no room for doubt. “For over a thousand years, I have watched, I have learned, I have gathered useful information. My plan shall not fail,” she sinisterly began to explain as she proceeded to mix a few potent herbs in a golden bowl. “Kaydence Gilbert is only alive today because of her continual consumption of vampire blood. She has been involved in many perilous plots, her life constantly in danger and if not for vampire blood, she would not be alive today. What none but your siblings know, is that every vampire Kaydence has had contact with is sired from _Niklaus_ , therefore, the convoluted truth is it is _his_ blood that sustained her life. My plan is to reverse its regenerative effects by siphoning the blood from her system with the aid of the blood I managed to siphon from the daggers.” Waving a hand over the golden bowl, she nonverbally set its contents aflame.

He nodded in comprehension, “Then what use is my blood for the pentagram?”

“Half-brothers you may be, you _are_ of _his_ blood and _he_ of _yours_. It is a potent binding agent made more powerful by the shared relation,” she brusquely informed him, setting a poppet ablaze by adding it into the bowl. I need her gone. It is a grievous imbalance to allow the abomination to roam this world. Casting one spell may be fruitful. However, I leave nothing to chance, and with this curse in motion she shall be swiftly dealt with.”

A photograph of Kaydence was dropped into the golden bowl, and as the roaring flames consumed it, blackening it and turning it to crisp, the flickering flames of the octagon grew dimmer as the wax melted down to its last, and in an instant the room was left in utter darkness, indicating success.

* * *

 

“Hey. Two Longboards,” Steve ordered, leaning by the bar as he scouted the club. The Reeves case led them to _Zephyr Lounge_ , and Steve knew that, in order to capture the creep that left with Amanda and Robin, they needed to blend.

Hobbling behind him on his walking stick, Danny, apparently, opposed to the idea, “What are you doing?”

One hand in his pocket, Steve grabbed his beer, a winsome smile on his face as he perused his surroundings, “This guy’s just abducted two girls. His radar is going to be up. He sees us before we see him, he’s going to bolt. So, let’s just have a couple of beers, get eyes on the place and relax.” He took a drink from his beer, his smile not wavering for even a second. A skeptical sound rumbled in Danny’s throat, prompting Steve to tear his gaze from the two women across the bar that had been attempting to capture his attention, “ _What_?”

“ _What_ , what? I didn’t say anything,” Danny raised a hand in an innocent gesture as he too, took a swig from his drink. The taller man propped a forearm against the bar, eyes intently on him. “That sound you made, what was that for?” he demanded, unable to let it go.

Huffing, Danny put the beer on the table and squarely met the Navy SEAL’s intense eyes, “Look, I’m getting the impression that maybe it’s not so much about blending in and more about distracting yourself from your current, ah, discovery by drinking. Okay? That’s all.”

“Oh, _that’s all_?” Steve repeated, looked deeply insulted, a crease between his brows as he stared his partner down, “I’m fine, Danny, nothing I can’t handle. And, let’s say I need a _distraction_ , I’d go for something a lot stronger than beer, alright?” Danny placated him by lifting both hands up in apology. “Now can you just _focus_ , _please_? Just, just _once_.”

Acquiescing, Danny changed the subject as they left the bar, beer in hand, and walked around, scanning the crowded vicinity for their perp. “You gonna tell me what’s up with that stupid smile you had on this morning?”

And speaking about that smile, it graced Steve’s face once again. “You’re imagining things,” he deflected. The blonde huffed out a sarcastic laugh, “Oh, _I’m_ imagining things. Wait a minute, wait a minute,” Danny laughed, a hand manically waving around. “Some detective _I am_. You got into some Barry White last night, didn’t you?” Steve smirked, head shaking fondly as he lifted his beer to his lips. “Huh? Am I right or am I right?”

“You’re very perceptive,” Steve responded, flattering him. Rounding a more luxurious section of _Zephyr Lounge_ , his gaze instantaneously locked onto a familiar face, comfortably lounged on an opulent sectional white sofa with his arm around a girl. “Take a look at Casanova over there; six o’clock,” Steve subtly jutted his chin out at his direction just as the perp flicked the hair from the girl’s face and whispered in her ear, eliciting a laugh out of her, the taller man quickly turning his back on them so as to not draw his attention.

Danny’s eyes honed in on him, “That’s our boy.” Squeezing the head of his walking stick, he commenced a threatening broadside. “Let me tell you what I’d like to do. If that was _my_ daughter, I would _bust_ every single one of his fingers _one at a time_ ,” his threat was emphasized by a menacing chuckle as he curled his hand into a fist.

Steve successfully masked a flinch, Danny’s words hitting too close to home. At that exact moment, they witnessed their perp deftly slip something in her drink the moment her head was turned and Steve _saw red_ , his mind conjuring up images of _Kaydence_ taking the girl’s place and leaving with that creep. Jaw taut and expression blank, Steve squared his shoulder, menacing green eyes staring straight at his target as he stormed over, Danny’s comment of, “ _thank you for the excuse!_ ” barely audible due to the rush of blood to his head.

Casanova didn’t appreciate Danny scaring his victim away. “Dude. _Who_ do you think you are?” he snapped, outraged. Rigid with fury and face like thunder, Steve, his voice resembling steel, said, “What’s that? Who do I think _I_ am?” He subtly uncovered his badge that was hooked to his belt, “I think I might be a guy who just saw another guy put something in a lady’s drink!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Casanova denied and poorly at that, nervously staring from the badge to Steve’s thunderous visage.

The thought of Kaydence in such a perilous situation, the _mere thought_ of her getting drugged and vulnerable, at some contemptible monster’s mercy had Steve’s blood _boil_ and he lashed out, forcing Casanova to chug the spiked drink. As they dragged his barely lucid form to Headquarters, Danny shot him a knowing look, and for once, didn’t bother arguing with the SEAL’s unorthodox interrogation methods, intimately aware that Steve, like him, was imagining his respective daughter getting roofied by some pervert.

Questioning him led them to the discovery of Kang and the technique in which Casanova supplied him with women from _Zephyr Lounge_. Getting Kono to emulate a roofied victim, passed out in the back of the van, Steve and Chin – in the former’s crew cab truck – watched a man approach the van, take the wheel and drive off, following at a respectable distance.

“Bravo team,” Chin spoke with backup over the radio. “Target’s turning southeast on Kuhio.”

Hand on the wheel, Steve’s gaze flickered over at Chin, “Kuhio Avenue, it’s a red-light district at night.”

Demeanor solemn, Chin gravely voiced his agreement, “Yeah, sex trade, kidnapped girls. It’s got to be forced prostitution. Teenagers like Amanda and Robin are prime targets…” Trailing off, from his peripheral, Chin noted Steve’s grip tightening on the steering wheel and he grimaced. “Steve, Kaydence is safe, you don’t have anything to worry about.”

He bobbed his head rapidly, attempting to rearrange his facial expression into one of nonchalance, “Yeah, yeah, I know, Chin.” Seeing Chin’s arched eyebrow that screamed ‘who do you think you’re trying to fool’, Steve emitted a long-drawn-out sigh of defeat, “I just can’t stop thinking _what if_. _What if_ Kaydence _was_ there? Or how about _what if_ Kaydence had _been_ there? I don’t know anything about her, Chin! _Nothing_. Maybe she was a victim, I mean, she’s definitely on the run, it’s possible. Then I hate my mind for conjuring those damn images! I don’t need to be thinking about her during a case.”

But to the Navy SEAL’s surprise, Chin laughed. _He laughed_ ; eyes crinkled in a smile, full set of teeth visible. “I’m guessing that comes with the territory of being a father. But-” he shrugged, lips quirked in a crooked grin, “-what would I know, huh? Maybe talk to Danny.”

“Yeah. Pass,” Steve chuckled, the small talk with Chin alleviating the atmosphere and soothing his nerves. At that moment, his phone rang. Frowning, he answered at the second ring, “It’s not the best time, Mare.” Her response however, brought him up short and his frown became more pronounced, realizing his sister had been rooting through the toolbox their father left him. A short argument ensued, Steve demanding she put the box away before snapping, “Aren’t you supposed to be looking after Kaydence?”

“ _I was_ ,” Mary retorted defensively. “We had a nice lunch at the Kahala but halfway in she said she was coming down with something and we parted ways. You know, Steve, she’s really an amazing girl. I bet if you’d just sit down and talk to her, you’d realize you’re both _really_ alike.”

Rolling his eyes, Steve exhaled loudly, “Yeah, Mare, alright. Anyways, I’m about to wrap up a case, maybe once I’m done, I’ll stop by.” Though he doubted it; a part of him wasn’t ready for another confrontation like last night. He still couldn’t look her in the eye without seeing a murderer, imagining blood all over her hands.

Mary scoffed, “It’s one in _the morning_ , Steve. Be considerate, she’s probably sleeping.”

“ _Look_ , just put the box back and I’ll see you when I get home, okay? _Thank you_.”

Ending the call, Steve, his tone reeking of exasperation, told Chin, “ _don’t ask_ ,” as he put his phone away, the blinking light notifying him of a missed call going unnoticed in his rush to keep an eye on the van.

* * *

 

It felt like torture. No, no, _scratch that_ , it _was_ torture, plain and simple. No exaggeration, no elaboration, it was torture, a familiar excruciating pain inflicted upon her before. All the agony Kaydence was forced to go through in _a single year_ , the _pure torment_ , and she never had any physical scars to showcase the trauma she suffered through; and why would she when her handful of friends had mystical healing properties in their blood. But, just because there weren’t any scarring, didn’t mean Kaydence _forgot_ about them. Few knew – three people: two dead and one undead – but Kaydence had an eidetic memory, and, most of the time, it acted more like a curse than a blessing.

It came in stages; she began experiencing shortness of breath the moment she stepped into her Suite, followed quickly by cold chills and, as her body started to weaken and fold into herself, she vomited blood. And then, the pain would vanish for a brief blessed moment, but like a rollercoaster, the vicious cycle repeated over and over and Kaydence realized she couldn’t stay by the door hoping for whatever ailed her to just _go away_. Calling Katherine ended up a futile attempt, the vampire busy with the mysterious errand she cryptically informed her of the other night before she stepped into the shower and had her catastrophic confrontation with Steve.

Kaydence was on her own, all alone – _the ugly fact she had made peace with since her mother’s death_.

Slowly, she attempted to get up, only to bite on her lower lip to keep from crying out. Sharp pain lanced through her head and colorful spots flashed in front of her eyes; it felt like her whole body had taken a brutal beating and every movement caused muscle and bone to ache. Another wave of pain washed over her and, since her hands were desperately clutching onto the legs of the nearest desk to help crawl her way to the bathroom, Kaydence vomited blood all over the polished floor, tears of pain and fear sliding down rapidly, tracing the prominent frame of her cheekbone and dripping down her chin to join the splatter on the floor.

Due to Kamyra’s versatile disposition, incapable of committing to something, whether it was a job, country, or activity, she passed it on to her daughter, and throughout her lifetime, Kaydence became her mother’s partner-in-crime. Kamyra religiously meditated every morning and no matter where they traveled, she ensured they participated in yoga classes, believing the spiritual and ascetic discipline to be one of utmost importance – “ _You’ll understand one day, Kiki. I promise it’ll all make sense. But remember this, yoga is your friend._ ” Kaydence could honestly admit that when vampires descended upon Mystic Falls, she finally _did_ understand. Yoga helped Kaydence strengthen her mind and because of the decade she had dedicated to the discipline, Kaydence prized herself in ignoring pain, moving past it and just soldiering on – _mind over matter, Kaydence! Mind over matter_ – regardless, at this precise moment, her mind betrayed her as the pain _owned_ her, dominating every thought and controlling her every action.

Loud sobs escaping her, Kaydence tried calling Katherine again, only for it to be the sixth call that went unanswered.

Lying on her stomach, Kaydence _dragged_ herself from the sitting room, her moist eyes focused intently on the door that led to the bedroom, just a room away from the bathroom. However, as she finally reached out, desperately extending her arm and grabbing onto the doorframe of the bedroom, pain seared through her abdomen, burning and radiating, increasing in small waves and giving her false hope. Kaydence just wanted the pain to either stop completely or continue without pause – anything was better than the cruel hope of escaping her current torment that continued to slip through her fingers.

She didn’t have the strength to continue. Positioned a few distance away from the bathroom, Kaydence rolled up in a ball of pain and tried to breathe through her agony, hugging her abdomen tight as she arranged herself in a fetal position. That’s when it happened… She was completely oblivious of the passage of time at the sudden introduction to a new world of _pain, agony_ and _torment_. Blood started pooling around her in an incredibly rapid pace and she started vomiting blood out with startling fervor.

Almond-shaped eyes, thick with tears and widening in horror, followed the trajectory of the fresh wetness percolating from her abdomen, precisely the left upper area where her spleen was located. “ _Oh God. No, no, no, no, no_!” the horrified moan escaped her lips, recalling the gunshot wound to her spleen caused by the callous and trigger-happy werewolf Brady that resulted in a ruptured spleen and had her bleeding out on the floor of her cell beside Caroline Forbes, nearing Death’s Door. That’s when she remembered… Kaydence _fought_ through the pain – _mind over matter!_ – and generated by pure rage due to his harsh treatment and bigotry towards the blonde vampire, she started smart-mouthing him which had him emptying a wooden bullet into her thigh – the memory barely hit her when she felt wetness on that exact same spot.

“What’s happening to _me_!” she keened, desperately clutching on to both gunshot wounds in an effort to stop the bleeding – a fruitless endeavor. Her cringing keens morphed into a high-pitched scream layered with agony as unbearable pain drove through her back, _lash after lash after lash_ , the phantom whip against her back unrelenting, the torture method familiar and Damon’s snarls and cruel laughter ringing in her ear, and she knew: Kaydence was reliving the torture she endured before Katherine sprung her from her prison cell and her sea of endless torment. The burning licked up her back like scorching fire as the leather whip echoed against her back and ripped through flesh.

Another frantic call to Katherine went unanswered.

“ _Please_! Help me!” she cried to the empty Suite, clenching the phone in a vice grip, using it as her only anchor, her mind beginning to concede to torment. Her plea concluded in blood as more spilled forth from her mouth, coating her chin and oozing down to her crimson-drenched white dress. As nausea swept over her and she became feverish, she felt as though her blood had become acid, intent on destroying her from the inside out.

That was when realization hit her like a freight train. Each and every wound inflicted upon her, all the pain she suffered through, her innumerous escapes from Death’s Door, all of which were conquered by vampire blood, were being forcibly expelled from her system. It wasn’t just _her_ blood that drenched her form, accumulating on the ground, it was a mixture of hers and vampire blood, it’s rejuvenating properties abandoning her which meant one thing: _witchcraft_ – someone had cursed her; fleeing Mystic Falls, faking her death and seeking shelter in Hawaii only postponed the inevitable.

 _Kaydence was dying_.

“ _No_!”

Dying wasn’t an option; she couldn’t die! _She couldn’t_. Kaydence _had_ something to fight for and _dammit_ , she would fight with _all_ that she had.

In excruciating slow motion, Kaydence felt all her old numerous wounds meted out by a myriad of supernatural entities reopen, blood slowly oozing out in her face, arms, legs, back, _stomach_ , mouth in a relentless flow of crimson, drowning in it – a macabre sight to behold.

A piercing scream resonated throughout the Suite, intermingling with the deafening sound of multiple bones fracturing and shattering, and the beatific ringing of her phone as it jumped to life, offering her a lifeline. Horror-struck, Kaydence, who had managed to crawl forward and rest her bloody back against the wall, stared agape at her hands, hands Katherine healed from Damon’s streak of sadism; she could feel Damon grip each finger, a menacing smirk on his face as he applied pressure with his enhanced strength and, one by one, her ten fingers started to bend and break all the way through, her hands becoming a sickening reddish-blue and swelling as they twisted into an unnatural, abnormal angle; the pain was deep within her hand, stinging and burning and _smoldering_. She winced, squinting as she vividly recalled what came next – both wrists snapped, then her radius and ulna, dousing her in excruciating agony, another keening scream escaping her, the pain _unendurable_.

It was a Sisyphean task, but Kaydence, through sheer strength of will and character alone, managed to tap the screen with her fractured pinky finger, biting her lip to quell her wail of pain, and she collapsed next to the phone, lying beside it. The jostle of her entire aching, bloody, bruised and broken body against the floor prompted her to writhe, and, as she addressed her savior, occasional whimpers escaped to echo off the walls. “ _Katherine_! Help me, Katherine, _please_ , help me!”

Muffled her voice may be, Kaydence heard her loud and clear, “Kaydence! What is it, what’s wrong? Tell me, where are you?!”

Her heart yearned for Klaus – she only ever felt safe and protected and untouchable around him and his warmth. _She wanted Nik_!

“I-I don’t know. I’m in my-my Suite, K-K-Kat,” the teenager was slurring her words, her consciousness starting to ebb. “I think, K-Kat, I, I, I th-think I, I’ve been, been c-c-cursed-”

All of a sudden, Kaydence underwent an out-of-body experience, her body _literally_ floating outside her body until she stood right in front of her unconscious physical form, unresponsive to Katherine’s faint yet frantic shouting of her name. Blinking in shock, the next thing Kaydence knew, she disappeared from her Suite and reappeared in the middle of an achingly familiar art room, her bloodshot and moist green orbs staring, as if in a daze, at the powerful man before her, feeling like her heart would burst at any second.

“ _Nik_?”

The hand holding the brush paused in its movements against the canvas and the head of dirty-blonde hair snapped over to meet her gaze, dark blue-green eyes, framed by long, thick lashes, widening at her bloody form that truly conjured a macabre yet no less, miraculous sight. He stared at her as though she were a ghost – which, in retrospect, to him, she kind of _was_ – and his grip tightened on the brush, effortlessly snapping it in half. He half-rose from his seat, unwilling to let his hopes up yet _praying_ she was real, and whispered, his voice thick with tears and oozing with misery and a dash of desperation, “ _Kaydence_?”

“ _Nik_! I’m-”

A sharp intake of breath escaped her as she slammed back into her physical form, the pain embracing her once again. Hearing Katherine still on the other line, frantically calling her name, she weakly uttered, “Kat, _help…me_ …”

Her voice trailed off, the last remnants of strength leaving her. Her expressive orbs started to close, the will to fight gone; she internally begged to the God her mother religiously encouraged her to pray to and believe in, for silence, for peaceful quiet, _for hope_. Her closed eyes watered in agony until her cheeks were waterlogged and the floor became a pond made of tears and blood and finally, black mists swirled at the edges of her mind, drawing her into sweet oblivion.

“KAYDENCE!” Katherine yelled only to roughly yank the phone from her ear and angrily end the call, her enhanced hearing identifying the girl had slipped out of consciousness, her breathing stilted and weak.

The realization hit her, ‘ _Kaydence was dying_!’

Not having much time to waste, Katherine punched in Steve’s number from memory, having recently acquired his number from a contact of hers. Leaving an urgent message in his voicemail, Katherine drove like a maniac to the nearest airport as she called one of her compelled humans – or what Kaydence fondly referred to them as her “ _flying monkeys_ ” – and ordered him to visit a certain witch that lived near him who fortuitously owed her a life debt, she had another message to send and no time to deliver it through normal means.

“Troy. It’s Katherine. I have a job for you.”

* * *

 

There was complete and utter bedlam in the Mikaelson Manor, a furore so potent, it could not be restrained.

Furniture could be heard crashing, wood grinding to dust and glass shattering as heavy objects were haphazardly tossed around. The most blood-curdling disturbance however, was the roars of uncontrollable rage that masked his heartache, the sound absolutely primitive and _dangerous_.

Baby-blues wide, Rebekah flashed into the Manor, her gorgeous features contorted in a mixture of shocked fear, “What the _bloody hell_ is going on?” The blonde whirled around to face the most likely culprit who had just descended the majestic staircase with a carry-on suitcase in hand, her tone accusatory, “Kol, _what_ did you do _this time_?”

“Me?” he spluttered, deeply offended. “I didn’t do _anything_! Perhaps it was you. After all, like myself, you do have a certain knack for pissing Nik off.”

Calmly, Elijah turned his back on the door Klaus had ensconced himself in and took a few steps towards the art room, its door knocked off its hinges, lying on the ground in two, a result of him storming outside in apoplectic fury and disappearing into the second sitting room to vent out his rage with reckless abandon. His face a mask of indifference – not that Rebekah and Kol bought it, the siblings easily identifying the worry that shone in his dark orbs – Elijah glanced at his Rolex, “He has been this way for over an hour now. I mistakenly assumed he would have calmed down by now once he ran out of furniture to destroy.”

“What happened, Lijah?” Rebekah inquired.

It was Kol however, to offer a response, “Everything was fine. Or well, as fine as one can be after the death of their favorite pet-”

“ _Kol_!” Elijah scolded him, eyes narrowed. “The deceased Miss Gilbert was no pet, hold your tongue!” He had been fond of the young girl and he would not tolerate any disrespect towards her _or_ her memory, not even from his beloved siblings.

The youngest Mikaelson boy rolled his eyes. “Nik joined me for a few drinks then ordered me to pack a bag and leave for Denver to watch over the insufferable doppelgänger’s brother. We argued, I, _naturally_ -” he sneered, “-conceded once he threatened me with the bloody dagger. I left to snack on a few unsuspecting victims and came back to find _this_!” He extended both hands at the art room’s destroyed door.

Impatient, Rebekah placed both hands on her hips and turned to Elijah for a more appropriate answer.

Looking slightly uncomfortable, Elijah cleared his throat and neutrally disclosed, “After Kol’s departure, Niklaus sequestered himself in the art room. All was well, nothing appeared to be amiss. I was in the Study going through our witch contacts in search for an ally that had the power to unlink us before Mother could try again.” Rebekah’s eyes were misty at the reminder of their mother’s treachery, her attempt to kill them two nights ago still fresh in her heart and mind. “The silence was broken by Niklaus calling…calling Kaydence’s name,” he shook his head, bemused. “Followed by the door’s destruction. Niklaus won’t listen to reason. Any attempt I made to calm him down went ignored.”

Before Rebekah could process Elijah’s explanation, Klaus appeared before them, his state disheveled and, to his siblings’ surprise, especially Kol, dried tracks of tears littered his face. “ _I SAW HER_!” he indignantly bellowed, a hint of desperation in his nuance. “Kaydence! She-she appeared to me. Said my name,” he insisted, looking quite deranged.

“Niklaus, Kaydence is, she’s gone. _Dead_ ,” Elijah softly stated, compassionate and empathic towards his distressed and volatile brother. “Your grief conjured he-”

“I am NOT hallucinating, _Elijah_!” he snarled, head shaking frantically and eyes wide. “She looked physical. She _was there_. I know it. _I know it_!”

Kol, the Mikaelson most proficient in magic, hesitantly uttered, “Perhaps her spirit reached out to you…”

Enraged, Klaus stormed off to the Study, “Then I shall reach out to her.”

“Where are you going?” Rebekah called out to him, perplexed.

“To find a witch!” the hybrid retorted, disappearing from his siblings’ field of vision, leaving them to watch his retreating back in utmost concern, believing his grief for the human girl was addling his brain.

Frowning, Rebekah addressed Kol, he too, having turned to leave, “And where are _you_ going?”

“Denver,” Kol responded, his tone one of fake cheer. “Bloody demanding brother… ‘Kol, do this, do that, _do it_ unless you want to return to your bloody coffin’. Ungrateful sod,” he mumbled under his breath, opening the car door with unnecessary force. Placing the suitcase on the passenger seat, before Kol could start the engine, a piece of paper that innocuously sat on the dashboard caught his attention. Curious, the Original hesitantly reached for it, a spark of intrigue flashing in his dark orbs.

_‘I believe this calls for a change of plan…’_

* * *

 

The venture ended up being a half-success. While they were successful in shutting down the operation for the prostitution ring, they weren’t any closer to pinpointing Robin Reeves’ location, having been informed – after Kono threatened to put down the dog that belonged to the Chinese lady in charge – that the kidnapping of the Reeves sisters were given to a private buyer who paid fifty grand to abduct them and hand them over, meaning the sisters were targeted specifically.

Checking the time on his watch, Steve expelled a sigh, his expression conflicted. Chin placed a hand on his shoulder, “Maybe you should call it a night. Hopefully tomorrow we’ll wrap this case and you can check in on Kaydence.”

“You know,” uncertain, Steve took out his phone, his gaze flickering between Chin and Kono, the latter still carrying the dog. “I never got her number; Kaydence’s. It completely slipped my mind…” he trailed off, eyebrows knitting together as he stared intently at the screen having finally taken notice of the voicemail he received from a private number at 5:30 p.m.

Taking a step forward, Kono, her features drawn in concern, asked, “Boss?”

Steve held up a finger, abruptly silencing her as he played the voicemail. A smoky, sultry voice with a slight rasp echoed around them, her words rushed and laced with fear – “ _Steve McGarrett, this is Katherine, I’m sure you’ve heard of me from your daughter. Sorry to skip the niceties but you need to listen to me. Kaydence is in trouble, I’m on my way to the airport but I won’t make it to Hawaii on time. I don’t care when you see this or how late it is, I don’t care if you’re busy, you hear me?! You need to get to the Kahala Hotel right away, her life depends on it. Your daughter needs you! Please hurry! And get an ambulance._ ”

Intense green eyes collided with the cousins’ dark ones and in an instant, Steve ran at full speed to his car, “Kono! Call an ambulance, _now_!”

He slid into the driver’s seat, barely sparing Chin a glance as he joined him in the passenger seat and strapped the seatbelt on. Turning on the siren, Steve stepped on the gas, driving like a lunatic, deftly bypassing cars and skipping every single red light he encountered. Parking the car, Steve left the door open as he ran the distance between the lobby and the Dolphin Lagoon Wing, Chin at his heels.

Armed and ready, Steve brushed his knuckles against the door, deftly concealing his trepidation, “Kaydence?”

The force of his knuckles had the door ominously swing open and the _loud_ silence had Steve preparing for the worst, his heart thundering loudly and thumping aggressively against his ribcage. Fearful eyes connected with Chin; nodding to each other, they stealthily entered the Suite, guns at the ready, only to halt abruptly the second they stepped inside. A splotch of crimson sat right behind the door and as they raked the hall, their eyes widened in unmitigated horror.

The amount of blood increased with every step, leading to the bedroom; Steve and Chin easily deduced Kaydence at first crawled, then dragged herself to the room. However, the scene they bore witness to was _nothing_ compared to what they had initially expected to find.

“ _Oh God_!”

“Steve!” Chin attempted to say something, _anything_ , but he couldn’t.

Holstering his gun, Steve ran over to the bloody lump drowning in a puddle of crimson. Her face was bloody and bruised, cuts littering every sliver of skin; a few white spots could be seen, only to do a double take and realize that Kaydence’s _dress_ was white, and _not_ red. She was drenched in blood… _her blood_! And her hands, _God_ her hands…

“She was _tortured_ ,” Chin observed in disgust, unable to tear his horrified gaze from her hands.

“No, no. God, no. Kaydence! Kaydence, can you hear me? _Kaydence_!?” he desperately shook her, to no avail. He didn’t take notice of the tears sliding down his face, only having eyes for the dried tearstains on _his daughter_ ’s face, purposely averting his gaze from the gruesome sight her hands made. His hand trembled as he felt for a pulse, a sigh of relief escaping him. “She’s alive, Chin. She’s, she’s alive. I’ve got a pulse. But it’s faint. She needs medical attention _now_!” he snapped towards the end, a hysterical quality in his tone.

 _It was like Freddie Hart all over again_ …

The difference however, was his sixteen-year-old girl was all alone. She must have been terrified and in so much pain.

Breathing roughly from his nose, Steve regained control of his emotions and attempted to detach himself from the situation like he learned to during SEAL training, implementing them to good use. Raking her form and still disregarding her hands in a desperate attempt to deny that his little girl had been tortured, Steve frowned, “Chin, look at her dress.”

Chin didn’t agree with his friend’s coping mechanism, his sudden change in behavior concerning him, “Steve-”

He didn’t want to hear it. “Chin! Just, just humor me, alright. _Look_ at her dress.” Sighing, Chin knelt beside him and obeyed. Hand hovering over his daughter’s unconscious and barely breathing form, inwardly screaming for the paramedics to burst through the door, Steve started to gesticulate, “There are no entry wounds. Her dress, other than the fact that it’s completely drenched in blood, has _no_ entry wounds, no punctures, no tears, nothing.”

“You’re right,” Chin gasped, frowning in confusion.

At that moment, the paramedics arrived with a gurney, frantically crowding over Kaydence’s body. Kono and to Steve’s surprise, Danny walked in next, the Detective’s features tight with sorrow, sad eyes locked on his partner. Steve however, didn’t allow anyone to console him, leaving his team behind to accompany Kaydence to the hospital – _one track mind_.

“Forensics just arrived,” Kono breathed out, grimacing as her dark orbs flickered throughout the room, staring intently at the abnormal amount of blood in a horrified trance. As the Forensic team got to work, Danny suddenly yelled for Chin and Kono. Joining the shorter man in the bedroom, carefully circumventing the puddle of blood, they found Danny holding two sketches in his gloved hands, “Look at this.”

Thrusting them forward, the cousins gasped in unison.

“That’s-” Kono cut herself off, confused orbs flickering between Chin and Danny, “How’s that possible?”

* * *

 

“Steven!”

Seated in the waiting room, head hunched between his shoulders and elbows propped on his thighs, Steve looked up. “Danny? What are you doing here?”

“What am _I_ doing here?” Danny questioned as though it were the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. “Your daughter’s in surgery, you’re here by yourself, where else would I be? How’s Kaydence doing?”

Bloodshot eyes haunted, the Navy SEAL let out a bitter laugh, “She’s been in and out of surgery. First surgery took four hours, they put her in intensive care and I’ve, I haven’t left her side. But, her wounds keep opening. The surgeons are stumped. This is the third time they’ve wheeled her into surgery. I, I don’t know what to do, Danny. They say it’s a miracle she held on that long, said she lost nearly all the blood in her system. I, I don’t know. I just… I keep thinking of the way I left things, of the things _I said_ to her-” Shaking his head, Steve swallowed back his tears and donned a tough front, changing the subject, “You shouldn’t be here, Danno. You should be looking for Robin.”

“Babe, already found ‘er,” Danny grinned, the emotion behind it slightly strained. “Closed the case about an hour ago.”

Taken aback, Steve breathed out, “What? How?”

Lips compressed, Danny’s tongue traced the inside of his lips and cheeks before he pulled out a file. “To be honest, I’d also like to know the answer to that.” Seeing Steve’s confusion, he sighed, “Cliff-notes, Kaydence solved the case for us.”

“ _Kaydence solv-_ , explain!”

Opening the file, Danny carefully spread out the two sketches he found in Kaydence’s room. He tapped his finger against the first one, “Recognize her?”

Striking greens widened at the accurate sketch of a peculiar dead girl floating lifelessly underwater. “That’s Amanda Reeves. That’s Waikiki Bay, where they found her body…” he trailed off in wonder, staring at Danny in bewilderment. Nodding curtly, Danny turned his attention to the next sketch, one that portrayed a man of Asian origins with a stern appearance, “Well, _we_ – Chin, Kono and I – thought that, since Kaydence accurately depicted Amanda, maybe this guy’s our killer, _slash_ , kidnapper, and we were right. Carlos Bagoyo. Any bells ringing for you?”

“Carlos Bagoyo,” recognition laced Steve’s tone. “He’s a known member of the National Liberation Front, operational in rural Luzon… They bombed a military base there in ‘08 and lately they’ve taken to targeting U.S. troops within the country. He’s an operative of the NLF, responsible for the Zamboanga bombings that killed _seventy-eight_ people.”

“Impressive,” Danny chuckled, putting the sketches away. “We ran facial recognition on the sketch and immediately got a hit. After that, it was a cakewalk. But color me crazy, couldn’t help but obsess over _how_ your daughter managed to put together a perfect sketch of recent events. I asked, Steve,” Danny correctly deduced the question on the tip of Steve’s tongue. “The Reeves and Bagoyo, none of them’s ever heard of Kaydence, or even met her.”

At that moment, the sharp clicking of heels reverberated loudly, the echoing sound approaching them. Glancing up, Steve found himself staring at a face he had only seen from the other side of a computer screen, “Elena Gilbert?”

Nose scrunched in disgust, the gorgeous brunette tossed her chocolate curls over her shoulder and scoffed, “Ugh, _no_. _Please_ don’t confuse me for that dull cow. I’m Katherine, I left you a message,” she needlessly reminded him.

Standing to his full height, Steve crossed his arms and gave her a tight-lipped smile, “Funny. Kaydence said the same thing, but the resemblance is, it’s uncanny.”

Katherine rolled her eyes and batted a hand through the air, “Don’t worry, it’ll all make sense soon. How’s Kaydence?” Steve proceeded to repeat her condition to ‘Katherine’, the color draining from her face as she realized the serious state Kaydence was in. Shaking her head, Katherine said, “The hospital can’t help her. This is just a waste of time-”

“Miss Pierce? Commander McGarrett?” Kaydence’s surgeon, Dr. Oshiro, approached the trio. Ripping his glare from Katherine as he had been staring at her in disbelief the second she uttered that ridiculous comment, Steve turned to face the surgeon, forcing a smile on his face. “I’m afraid your daughter’s condition is grave, Commander. We don’t know how and we don’t know why, but her wounds keep reopening, no matter how many times we close it. It’s an anomaly!”

“Well then what can we do?” Steve demanded, his composure slipping.

Dr. Oshiro regretfully shook his head, “There’s nothing we _can_ do but run a few tests and keep her in intensive care under strict observation until-”

“That won’t be necessary,” Katherine sternly interjected.

In unison, Steve and Danny snarled, disbelief palpable, “Excuse me?”

Disregarding them, Katherine squarely met the surgeon’s bewildered orbs, “How is the baby?”

“Baby? _What_ _baby_?” Steve spat out, his olive complexion paling. Even the surgeon appeared to be confused, blinking at Katherine in question, devoid speechless.

Scoffing, Katherine glowered at the wretched mortal, “You took her into surgery and didn’t _know_?! Surely it must have shown on her scans, you incompetent fool! Kaydence is a little over a week _pregnant_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CAST:  
> -Kaydence McGarrett – Lucy Hale  
> -Steve McGarrett – Alex O’Loughlin  
> -Katherine Pierce – Nina Dobrev  
> -Danny Williams – Scott Caan  
> -Kono Kalakaua – Grace Park  
> -Chin Ho Kelly – Daniel Dae Kim  
> -Klaus Mikaelson – Joseph Morgan  
> -Mary McGarrett – Taryn Manning  
> -Kol Mikaelson – Nathaniel Buzolic  
> -Rebekah Mikaelson – Claire Holt  
> -Elijah Mikaelson – Daniel Gillies  
> -Caroline Forbes – Candice King  
> -Bonnie Bennett – Kat Graham  
> -Finn Mikaelson – Caspar Zafer  
> -Esther Mikaelson – Alice Evans
> 
> How awesome is Katherine?! XD  
> What are Kaydence’s powers and how did she appear to Klaus? How did she know to sketch the victim and suspect? Will Steve and the Five-0 Task Force be let in on the grand secret…? Stay tuned!! Next chapter will be action-packed! ;)


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